Region’s Best

FIRST STAR: FRANKIE PENNINGTON. One of Parx’s riding icons achieved a significant career milestone last Tuesday. Pennington’s victory aboard Mi Amo in the opener was the 3,000th of his career, which started in 2003. He’s ridden in almost 16,000 races in his career, and his mounts have earned $88,603,152 as of this writing. He’s won eight graded stakes race sin his career, most recently the 2021 Greenwood Cup with Magic Michael. Pennington currently sits in third place in the Parx riding standings, with 95 wins from 433 mounts.

SECOND STAR: DIRECT THE CAT. This promising West Virginia-bred filly looked like a sure thing on Saturday at Charles Town, going off as the 1-9 choice in the James and Eleanor Casey Memorial Stakes for West Virginia-bred 2-year-old fillies. She lived up to expectations, drawing off to a 7 1/2-length victory after setting the early pace. She ran seven furlongs in 1:26.01 to earn her third consecutive stakes win, following victories in the Rachel’s Turn Stakes and the Triple Crown Nutrition Breeders’ Classic Stakes. She’s owned and trained by Cyndy McKee and ridden by Reshawn Latchman.

THIRD STAR: WHISKEY AND RYE. Friday’s feature at Laurel Park was a stakes-quality open allowance sprint for fillies and mares. Despite a victory in the Sensible Lady Turf Dash last out, which was ironically washed away to dirt, Whiskey and Rye went off at 9-1 in the eight-horse field. She made the price look like a bargain, as she set the pace, opened up a big lead turning for home, and held on to win by a length over a late-rallying Self Isolation. She ran six furlongs in 1:11.64 for owners Mens Grille Racing, trainer Jerry Robb, and jockey Victor Carrasco. The 5-year-old mare has a record of 3-1-0 from seven starts on the year, and has won six times in her 26-start career with earnings of $273,331.

Laurel Park

FIRST STAR: WHISKEY AND RYE. Beat a stakes field on paper gate-to-wire; you have to figure a return to official stakes company is on the table.

SECOND STAR: BERKS. Jamie Ness homebred won for the seventh time this year in impressive style in a second-level race on Sunday; he was claimed out of that race by Kieron Magee.

THIRD STAR: MURRAY. Impressively won a second-level dirt sprint on Thursday for his second straight victory.

Charles Town Races

FIRST STAR: DIRECT THE CAT. Excited to see what the future has in store for this budding West Virginia-bred star.

SECOND STAR: STORM BOARDER. Earned his fifth victory of the year on Friday with a determined nose victory in a second-level dash.

THIRD STAR: SOCIAL CHIC. Off back-to-back runner-up finishes in stakes company, this West Virginia-bred filly put it all together and rallied to win a first-level event on Saturday.

Delaware Park

FIRST STAR: ANGEL ARROYO. Turned a grand slam on the final day of the season Saturday, and won a total of eight races on the week.

SECOND STAR: RUNAWAY JACK. Rallied from behind and kicked away to win an open allowance sprint on Wednesday.

THIRD STAR: HASHTAG LUCKY. Set the pace while wide and drew off to win a second-level race on Thursday for her fourth win of the year; she’s back in the box for Saturday’s Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes at Laurel Park.

Parx Racing

FIRST STAR: FRANKIE PENNINGTON. Once again, congratulations to a Parx icon!

SECOND STAR: DISCO EBO. This Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Weigelia made her first start off the layoff a winning one, going gate-to-wire to win an open allowance sprint on Tuesday with Pennington aboard.

THIRD STAR: MAJESTIC CREED. Sat the trip and kicked away to win a second-level sprint on Monday for trainer Bobbi Hawthorne with Mychel Sanchez aboard.