PARX PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: FEB. 23

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 96-1-2-3Really curious to see how the betting goes in this open allowance contest. The horse who probably should be favored (and perhaps ultimately will be) is #2 Arch Cat (5-2). The Arch gelding was Grade 3-placed three back, and last out he dropped down into starter company and galloped; the show horse returned to win next out. He’ll look to stalk the pace and pounce in the lane… #6 Happy Farm (2-1) is the morning line favorite, and the winner of the 2019 G3 Fall Highweight and runner-up in the 2020 G3 Tom Fool. That was when he was racing for trainer Jason Servis, since indicted. He was away from last March to January, when he ran poorly in the Gravesend, but dropped into high-end claiming company last out, he dispatched an early speed rival with ease and drew away. It was a useful step forward, and drawn outside the other speed today, he can double up… If the pace heats up, #1 Thiscatcanjump (3-1, part of entry) and his entrymate both are horses that can close. Thiscatcanjump was thrashed last out but not sure how much stock we want to put in a five-furlong race… #3 Smooth B (5-1) has been training forwardly towards his first start since November for trainer Butch Reid…
Race 107-3-6-2It appears that trainer Todd Pletcher had an extra slot on the van and thus sends down two for this allowance for sophomores: #6 Bourbonic (5-2), who has the look of a horse who needs easier company than he’d see in NY to win an allowance, and #7 Top Boss (8-5), a PA-bred who broke his maiden with ease last time out. If they both post, they could run one-two, but certainly Top Boss has the look of a horse who could make short work of his conditions. Pletcher is 8-for-21 shipping horses to run in allowance company at Parx… #3 Scotch Rock’s (8-1) gets blinkers on today (and Lasix back on) and should appreciate dropping out of stakes company and returning to his home track… #2 Market Maven (8-1) graduated last out, fighting back after being collared late to regain command. Yes, it was against state-bred company, but do note that the runner-up was 18 lengths clear of the show horse…

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