Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Parx hits meet’s best stretch
Fresh off its annual threeweek August break during the Saratoga meet, Parx Racing jumps into the most important part of its schedule Saturday.
Although still more than three weeks off, the fields for the newly promoted Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby and the Grade 1 Cotillion are beginning to take shape. The $1 million races will be held Sept. 23 and are supported by three other stakes, including the Grade 3, $300,000 Gallant Bob, a sixfurlong sprint for 3-year-olds.
The Doug O’Neill-trained trio of Irap, Pavel, and Mopotism were scheduled to arrive at Parx on Wednesday to prepare for their respective races. Irap, the third-place finisher in last Saturday’s Travers, is being pointed to the Pennsylvania Derby, while Mopotism, the runner-up in the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita and the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks, is being pointed to the Cotillion.
Pavel will start Monday in the Grade 3, $300,000 Smarty Jones, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds. He finished fourth in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in his most recent race, beaten only a half-length in a blanket finish for second behind 4 3/4-length winner Good Samaritan.
The Pennsylvania Derby field also is expected to include Wood Memorial winner Irish War Cry, who has worked twice for Graham Motion since his fourthplace finish in the Haskell Invitational, and Giuseppe the Great, who finished sixth in the Travers for Nick Zito.
Possible starters include Travers winner West Coast and Shared Belief Stakes winner Battle of Midway.
The conditions of the Pennsylvania Derby include $50,000 starting bonuses for both the owner and trainer of any winner of a Triple Crown race, the Haskell, or the Travers.
The Cotillion is expected to draw Abel Tasman, who like West Coast is trained by Bob Baffert. Abel Tasman has won three consecutive Grade 1 races – the Coaching Club American Oaks, Acorn, and Kentucky Oaks.
Smarty Jones Day features three undercard stakes, including the Grade 3, $300,000 Turf Monster, a five-furlong turf sprint, and the Grade 3, $200,000 Greenwood Cup, a 1 1/2-mile race on the main track.
In addition to Pavel, the Smarty Jones is expected to lure Wood Memorial secondplace finisher Battalion Runner from the stable of Todd Pletcher; West Virginia Derby winner Colonelsdarktemper, trained by Jinks Fires; and Iowa Derby winner Hence, conditioned by Steve Asmussen.
Sam Elliott, the track’s director of racing, is happy with how the races are coming up at this early juncture.
“September is a nice niche for us,” he said. “The Pennsylvania Derby is in a perfect spot on the calendar. On the national scene, these are the days where we mean something.”
The September stakes barrage begins Saturday with Pennsylvania’s Day at the Races, when five $100,000 stakes for statebreds will be held. The card includes Favorite Tale, who will be making his first start since March 2016, and 18-time winner Page McKenney.
Favorite Tale makes comeback
Favorite Tale will make his second start since winning the Fabulous Strike Stakes at Penn National in November 2015 in the $100,000 Banjo Picker on Saturday at Parx. The Banjo Picker is one of five stakes for Pennsylvania-breds on the card.
The Fabulous Strike came on the heels of Favorite Tale’s gallant third-place finish from post 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland. The top two finishers were Runhappy and Private Zone.
Favorite Tale, now 6, made only one start last year. He set the pace but weakened to third in a no-conditions allowance race at Parx, which Stallwalkin’ Dude won over El Deal. Favorite Tale, trained by Lupe Preciado, came out of that race with a knee chip that was surgically removed.
Preciado put Favorite Tale back in training last summer, but was not happy with how the gelded son of Tale of the Cat was doing and backed off.
“He wasn’t doing good, and we turned him out again,” Preciado said. “He needed more time.”
Preciado has worked Favorite Tale five times since July 11, including six furlongs in 1:11.80 from the gate Aug. 9 and a bullet 46.80-second half-mile last Saturday.
“He is doing everything easily,” Preciado said.
Favorite Tale has won 8 of 19 starts and $900,000. His wins include the Grade 2 Smile Sprint in 2015 at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 3 Gallant Bob at Parx in 2014.
Delaware: 81 dates for 2018
Delaware Park and the Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association have agreed to terms for an 81-day meet in 2018, the same number of dates as this year.
The one-year contract extension stipulates that the track will open for training March 1 and remain open until Dec. 31. Racing dates and a stakes schedule are expected to be announced in January after being submitted to the Delaware Racing Commission. This year’s Delaware meet began June 3 and continues through Oct. 21.
“Having the stability and certainty moving into next season will help us continue the positive momentum we have established over the last few years,” said Kevin Delucia, the track’s senior vice president of racing and finance.
D. Scott Peck, president of the DTHA, echoed Delucia’s comments.
“This gives us the assurance needed to plan ahead,” he said.