Gordian Knot, Ninetyprcentmaddie face off in PA Nursery
Frank Vespe- November 29, 2022
Three two-year-olds looking to maintain their spotless records top a bulky field in Tuesday’s $200,000 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes at Parx Racing. The seven-furlong test for state-bred juveniles is the tenth of 11 races and is supported by another stake, the $75,000 Future Stars Filly Division Stakes for two-year-old fillies.
Both Gordian Knot (3-1) and Ninetyprcentmaddie (7-2) are three-for-three in their young careers, and each also owns a prior stakes win. They’re joined by Winning Time (4-1), a flashy 11-length winner in his only prior start.
A homebred for Joseph Imbesi, Gordian Knot has won his three starts by a combined total of more than 13 lengths. Gordian Knot has stakes wins on both the dirt and synthetic thus far. He won the Prince Lucky by two lengths over the Parx racing strip in September and followed that up with a win in the Mark McDermott Stakes on the synthetic at Presque Isle Downs October 25.
Since, the Guadalupe Preciado-trained son of Social Inclusion has posted three works, two of them bullets. Most recently, he breezed five-eighths in 1:01 2/5. Regular pilot Mychel Sanchez has the mount.
After a narrow debut win going 4 ½ furlongs, Ninetyprcentmaddie has made short work of his rivals in two subsequent starts. He won the Whistle Pig Stakes for state-breds at Parx by 3 ½ lengths August 22 and most recently won an allowance by over seven lengths October 31.
Butch Reid trains the Weigelia colt, who is a homebred for LC Racing LLC. Frankie Pennington retains the mount.
Winning Time made quite a debut impression in his unveiling November 7. The Kathleen Demasi-trained son of Winchill showed speed early and drew away from the field without being asked. He never felt the whip en route to an 11-length triumph. The Pewter Stable homebred will leave from the far outside in his first try against winners and will have Silvestre Gonzalez in the irons.
Others of note include Picture This (9-2), a winner of two straight at Delaware Park for trainer Michael Matz and Runnymoore Racing; and Keithsendshelloooo (8-1), who broke his maiden last out for Ed Coletti and owners Uptowncharlybrown Stud LLC after having finished second behind both Gordian Knot and Ninetyprcentmaddie in stakes company.
The most famous winner of the Pennsylvania Nursery was Smarty Jones, who won the event in his second career start in 2003. He ultimately won his first eight outings, including the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, before finishing second in the Belmont Stakes.
Trainer Butch Reid has a shot at a stakes double on the card, as he’ll also send out Girl Trouble, the 2-1 morning line favorite in the Future Stars one race prior. The only two-time winner in the field, Girl Trouble won a Parx allowance by eight lengths last time out. The New Jersey-bred, owned by Swilcan Stable LLC and LC Racing LLC, will have Paco Lopez up.
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