Parx: Recruiter still undefeated, more stakes on tap today
Frank Vespe- January 4, 2023
Recruiter posted a dominant – and popular – 2 ¾-length victory in Tuesday’s $75,000 Parx Juvenile Stakes at Parx Racing to run his career record to 4-for-4.
The Futurity was one of two stakes for newly minted sophomores on the Tuesday card, along with the Parx Futurity for fillies. Wednesday brings three more stakes, all for older runners.
Under pilot Mychel Sanchez, Recruiter stalked the early pace, moved up to even terms after a half-mile, and inched away in the lane. Running time for the seven furlongs on a sloppy, sealed track was 1:26.75.
Ninetyprcentmaddie was second, with Winning Time another length farther back in third, as the top four finishers, including Daydreaming Boy in fourth, were, in order, the top four wagering choices. Recruiter paid $4.60 to win as the favorite, and the exacta returned $14 on a two-dollar wager.
Trained by Cal Lynch for Nick Sanna Stables LLC and his own Lynch Racing LLC, Recruiter, a Florida-bred Army Mule colt, now has two stakes wins and career earnings of $170,100.
One race later, in the Futurity, the suddenly-very good Girl Trouble won by 5 ¼ lengths for her third straight win, all by more than five lengths. Running time was 1:27.78.
Under Paco Lopez, the Butch Reid trainee pressed the early pace before drawing away in the lane to another sharp score. Empress Ariana, a 51-1 outsider, rallied for second. Girl Trouble paid $4.00 as the even-money favorite; the exacta returned $99.80 for two bucks.
The New Jersey-bred Fast Anna filly is owned by Swilcan Stable LLC and LC Racing. She has four wins from seven starts with earnings of $202,500.
Today’s trio of $75,000 stakes are all for older runners. The six-furlong Blitzen is for four-year-olds and up, as is the one-mile-70-yard Kris Kringle. The seven-furlong Mrs. Claus is for fillies and mares.
The Blitzen features the top two finishers from November’s Let’s Give Thanks over the strip. Let’s Give Thanks winner Repo Rocks is 2-1 on the morning line, while runner-up Twisted Ride is 9-2.
Ridin With Biden passed on a couple of more lucrative, out-of-town spots to run on his home track in the Kris Kringle and has been installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite. He’ll have to contend with some tough rivals, including the talented American Patrol, who races for the same connections as Recruiter; Discovery winner Eloquist; and Parx Dirt Mile winner Far Mo Power.
The Jonathan Wong-trained My Kentucky Girl, a five-length allowance winner at Keeneland in October before finishing second in the Youngstown Oaks, is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the Mrs. Claus. Post time for the card is 11:55 a.m.
LATEST NEWS
