In Focus: Roamin Rachael Stakes

PARX RACE 8 – ROAMIN RACHAEL STAKES

RACE PARTICULARS: Race 8 (4:16pm EDT), $100,000 guaranteed purse for fillies and mares 3yo and up, 6 furlongs

THE FIELD (in post position order)

1. (program #1) She’s Stunning (part of entry, 4-1): Two prior stakes tries aren’t much to look at, though last, three back, was on the lawn… Four-year-old, a seven-time winner, enters with two straight vs. allowance/optional claiming types, both times when in for the tag… Likes Parx and this trip and figures to be fairly close to the early action with Dexter Haddock in the irons…
2. (#2) Risque’s Diamond (8-1): PA-bred daughter of Weigelia has seen several of these in recent months with somewhat mixed results… Ran a decent second last out in state-bred stake to the improving Zipper’s Hero, who’s won three straight… Makes second start off six-week freshening here
3. (#3) Jessica Krupnick (5-2): Uncle Mo mare has done nothing but run good races in 2018 and locked up MATCH Series division championship with show effort last out at PID… Rivals she’s bested this year include #1 She’s Stunning, #2 Risque’s Diamond, and #7 Liz’s Cable Girl… Can’t say we blame regular pilot Trevor McCarthy for passing on this engagement; he’s slated to ride a bunch at BEL, including a very live contender in the G2 Sands Point… Andrew Wolfsont will ride for trainer Tres Abbott… Grinding sort will likely have mid-pack trip…
4. (#4) Yorkiepoo Princess (6-1): That three-stake win streak sure seems like a long time ago… Kantharos filly took three straight added money events bridging her 2yo (2016) and 3yo seasons and looked like she might go on, but her best result in eight subsequent tries is a runner-up effort — at 75-1! — in the G2 Charles Town Oaks… Was a pretty good third two back in a race from which the runner-up followed up with a stake win at SAR… Does own a 6f stake win… Local ace Manny Esquivel will ride; he’s currently third at this meeting with over $1.6 million in purse earnings…
5. (#5) Squan’s Kingdom (10-1): Trappe Shot filly is one of two in here for NJ-based trainer Pat McBurney… Enters off a fifth-place effort going 6 1/2 furlongs in the Timonium Distaff after a pair of up-the-track efforts going two turns at MTH, including a G3 event… Return to sprinting looks to be a positive, and she owns three wins at PRX… Expecting an improved effort at enticing odds in this spot…
6. (#1a) La Key (poe, 4-1): The other half of the entry, this J P’s Gusto filly makes her first start after being claimed for $25,000… She was up the track that day… Had won a second-level allowance the race prior, but connections didn’t bother to try to pick off third allowance test – perhaps a telling decision… Best win may have been back in February when she took a first allowance at OP over Treble, who since has become G3-placed… Finished behind entrymate She’s Stunning back in May… Filly’s in-and-out form makes a bit of a tough sell…
7. (#6) Bertranda (12-1): NY-bred doesn’t win much — just three times in 28 starts — but notably all three wins have come going 6f at PRX, so there’s that… Ran second to #2 Risque’s Diamond two back and fourth in an allowance at DEL last out; top pair from that race were among those bested by #3 Jessica Krupnick in Dashing Beauty win…
8. (#7) Liz’s Cable Girl (2-1): The bad news for this miss is that she’s finished behind #3 Jessica Krupnick in two recent stakes tilts; the good is that she’s on the improve and last out earned her first stakes victory vs. NJ-bred rivals… McBurney trainee has won both her local starts and projects here as main speed in the race… Formful sort will have Jose Ferrer, fresh off MTH meet title and in midst of best season in years, in the irons… Rates a major chance to turn tables on #3 in here but not sure 2-1 odds are very enticing…