PARX PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: MAY 25

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

Parx Racing has an 11-race card on tap for this afternoon. Post time for the opener is 12:55p.m., and we’ve got Parx picks.

Carryovers: Jackpot Pick 5, $119,809

How’d we do last time at Parx?

RACE NUMBERCONTENDERSCOMMENTS
Race 84-6-2-1AHere’s a second-level allowance going six furlongs, and we’re betting that the speed of the speed will be #4 Foolish Ghost (4-1). Maryland-based jockey Sheldon Russell makes the trip to beautiful Bensalem for just this one mount — aboard a New York-based horse for trainer Ray Handal. This Mineshaft gelding threw in a clunker last time, as he’s prone to do occasionally; he’s a speed horse who stumbled badly at the break, never got a sniff of the lead, and threw in the towel. We like how Handal’s responded to that rough outing: a bit of time off, three works, and what should be an easier spot than he’d see in New York. Look for an improved effort… #6 Fortheluvofbourbon (5-2), a winner at first asking last February, ran two big ones after trainer Mike Pino claimed him for $50k last May, winning a pair of allowances at Parx. He hasn’t run since late August, and Pino has only a 9% strike rate off 90-day layoffs, so that’s a bit of a concern. But if this one’s ready to deliver a top performance, he’ll be tough… #2 Shanghai Superfly (part of entry, 3-1) has been in consistently good form of late and ran second against similar last time out… #1A Johnny Ritt (part of entry, 7-2) spent a lot of time in stakes company last year and was second in his only try against similar to these. Trainer Butch Reid has a 5% strike rate off similar layoffs…
Race 106-1-8-2The hottest jockey and trainer on the grounds – Ruben Silvera and Jamie Ness – team up with #6 Wentz (5-2), who galloped against similar last out and enters riding a three-race win streak… Breaking from the rail, look for #1 Zoomer (5-1) to gun for the lead and take ’em as far as he can. He crushed allowance rivals at Aqueduct two back, and while his last was poor, we’re inclined to draw a line through it: in his first start in two months and first in a new barn, he was asked to go 1 3/8 miles without Lasix in a stake at Belmont. Back at a more familiar distance with more manageable rivals, he can bounce back… #8 Deal Driven (4-1), in good form of late, defeated similar last out in a field that included a couple of today’s rivals… Maryland-based jockey Jorge Ruiz makes the trek up I-95 to retain #2 Dixie Drawl (3-1), which suggests you leave him out of the mix at your peril. He beat some salty allowance foes last time after a couple of credible stakes tries…

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