Parx picks and horses to watch: Dec. 9 * The Racing Biz

PARX PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: DEC. 9

*Street Band upset the 2019 Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing . Photo by Allison Janezic.*

Parx Racing has a 10-race card on tap for this afternoon. Post time for the opener is 12:25 p.m., and we’ve got Parx picks.

How’d we do last time at Parx?

RACE NUMBER	CONTENDERS	COMMENTS
Race 8	8-6-7-3	Top choice #8 Star Sign (7-2) returned from a nine-month break to just miss versus similar after suffering a disastrous stumble at the break that left him well last. Any improvment here likely puts him in the winner’s circle… Optimistic that #6 Nothing Better (5-1) is sitting on a good one. The Jorge Duarte trainee gets back on the main track after two credible tries on the lawn, and he gets blinkers off today. He was the pace in his last dirt try in a race that set up for the closers (the top pair were seventh and sixth after a quarter-mile) and has produced two next-out winners. Toss the start before that; the top trio are all graded stakes animals, and this one looks like a sprinter in any case… #7 Milton the Monster (4-1) broke his maiden by 11 locally, gave a credible account of himself in an off-the-turf allowance at Belmont… The speedy La Waun (5-2) galloped in a starter last time and has been first or second in five of six, the lone exception being in a G3 event. Should be a pace factor here but may not have it all his own way as he did last time…
Race 9	1-3-7-4	One of these days veteran #1 Nileator (7-2) will manage a clean break. He ran a big one after breaking a bit sideways and banging into the gate last time, pressing the winner and actually putting a nose in front before settling for second while well clear of the rest. A clean getaway could turn the tables… A bit quixotic to put #3 Midnight Act (2-1) in the Richard Small Stks. where he was well-beaten at 111-1. Back among the kinds of horses with whom he competes, he can show to best effect. But you have to wonder: did that stakes tilt take something out of him? The improving #7 Solar Warning (6-1) is a bit light on resume but is in terrific form and thrashed Penn National allowance foes last time out… If you like Nileator (and we do), then you need to respect #4 Petulant Delight (9-2), who bested him last out, as well. Should be a forward factor and always runs well on fast tracks when appropriately spotted.