PARX PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: DEC. 22

Street Band
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 NUMBERCONTENDERSCOMMENTS
Race 57-3-6-1Last time out, against company similar to this starter allowance group, top choice #7 Aced (3-1) was in almost continuous trouble from approaching the far turn to upper stretch, and yet when he finally found a way to daylight, he ran on nicely for second. The show horse returned to best similar in his follow-up… Will the real #3 Lucky Jaime (12-1) please stand up? In 2019 he showed some talent on the main track, but this year, his two dirt tires were brutal. On the plus side, though, he bounced back with two good grass efforts, and trainer Pat McBurney likes what he’s seeing enough to keep him around for this dirt tilt. If he runs back to his ’19 dirt form, he’s a handful in here, so let’s give him another crack… A pair of improving sorts who’ve been facing lesser round out the top four. Both #6 Kid d’Oro (4-1) and #1 Jack Bo (5-1) enter with two consecutive wins versus lesser, both after shifting into new barns. Kid d’Oro survived an early speed duel last time and drew away smartly while Jack Bo pressed the early leader into defeat (he finished up the track) and still had plenty to hold off the closers…
Race 96-5-1-4Nice group of horses set to gather for this open allowance contest going 1 mile 70 yards. There looks to be several speedy types, so we’ll give the nod to a runner who’s shown ability to sit off the pace and run on late. Despite a bit of in-and-out form, #6 Whistling Birds (6-1) certainly has had his moments, including beating similar two back, which gave him three wins in his last four two-turn starts at Parx. Last out, going seven furlongs he was outfooted and finished sixth, but I’m not inclined to judge that one too harshly: winner Share the Ride came back to win the G3 Fall Highweight… You can’t fault anything #5 Rock On Luke (2-1) has done to date, with three wins and seven in-the-money finishes from seven career starts as he makes short work of his conditions. It’d be no surprise if he prevailed here, either. The concern: he’s a confirmed speed horse in a race with other speed signed on… #1 Jump for Alex (5-1) won nicely against similar last time out, rallying into the pace, though that was nearly three months ago… He might not be quite this kind anymore, but you still have to love 22-time winner #4 Dr Blarney (4-1). The seven-year-old raced up close but tired last out at AQU and makes his second start off a two-month break here…

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