Sept. 20 (UPI) — Saturday’s $1 million Pennsylvania Derby takes the center ring in weekend horse racing, pitting some Triple Crown veterans against some promising, late-blooming 3-year-olds.
The Derby is surrounded at Parx Racing with 10 more stakes races, four of them graded events, while Churchill Downs, Gulfstream Park and Aqueduct also contribute to a solid few days at the races.
On the global scene, Japanese 3-year-olds are returning from their summer break, Rebel’s Romance is back in Germany and ace Irish trainer has organized an American-style workout on the Southwell all-weather course for his Breeders’ Cup Classic hopeful City of Troy.
Starting with …
Classic / Dirt Mile
It’s hard to imagine a championship bid by any of 11 3-year-olds entered for Saturday’s $1 million Grade I betPARX Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing. But the field certainly isn’t devoid of talent, with a field that includes Preakness winner Seize the Grey; Indiana Derby and West Virginia Derby winner Dragoon Guard; Santa Anita Derby winner Stronghold; and Withers Stakes winner Uncle Heavy.
Ohio Derby winner Batten Down is the morning-line favorite in a field of six for Saturday’s $300,000 Bourbon Flight for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs.
The Bill Mott trainee, by Tapit, wasn’t competitive in the Grade II Jim Dandy or Grade I Travers, both at Saratoga, but won’t have to face the likes of Fierceness, Thorpedo Anna and Sierra Leone this time.
Saturday’s $200,000 Grade III Greenwood Cup, 1 1/2 miles at Parx Racing, certainly looks like a virtual walkover for Next. The odds-on favorite, a 6-year-old Not This Time gelding, won last year’s edition by 25 lengths and has won all three starts since then by huge margins. As they say in poker, if you can beat ’em, bet ’em.
Distaff
The only mystery about Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Cotillion for 3-year-old fillies at Parx Racing is how the racing secretary rustled up six rivals for Thorpedo Anna. W
inner of the Grade II Fantasy, Kentucky Oaks, Grade I Acorn and Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks, she exits a desperately close second behind 3-year-old male division leader Fierceness in the Grade I Travers.
The others are nice fillies, but realistically will be seeking smaller shares of that $1 million.
Saturday’s $175,000 Seneca for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs looks like a “you-pick-em” with 13 starters on the program’s last race. Those with a bankroll left might see Miss Justify, who was fourth in the Grade I Alabama in her last trip.
Sprint
Bentornato is the morning-line favorite in a competitive field for Saturday’s $400,000 Grade II Gallant Bob for 3-year-olds at Parx Racing. The Valiant Minister colt, trained by Jose D’Angelo, finished third in the Saudi Derby behind Forever Young and Book’em Danno and was second in his return Aug. 23 at Charles Town.
Trainer Todd Pletcher brings Illuminaire as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in Saturday’s $300,000 Harrod’s Creek for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs. The City of Light colt makes just his third start, but hasn’t been seriously tested in winning his first two.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Saturday’s $220,000 Grade III Princess Rooney Invitational at Gulfstream Park is a “Win and You’re In” for the PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Soul of an Angel and Beth’s Dream are the morning-line picks in a field of 10 set to go 7 furlongs.
My Mane Squeeze returns to Churchill Downs, where she won the Grade II Eight Belles on Oaks Day, for Saturday’s $300,000 Grade III Dogwood for 3-year-old fillies. She hasn’t won in three subsequent starts, so perhaps the glimpse of the Twin Spires fill set things right again.
Roses for Debra and Gal in a Rush, both trained by Christophe Clement, are at the top of the morning line for Friday’s $300,000 Grade II Presque Isle Downs Masters at 6 1/2 furlongs on the all-weather course.
Turf Sprint
Souper Quest, never worse than third in nine previous starts, is the morning-line pick in an overflow field for Saturday’s $250,000 Grade III Turf Monster at Parx Racing.
The 4-year-old Munnings colt, trained by Mark Casse, was third, beaten less than 1 length, in the Harvey Pack Stakes at Saratoga in his last start.
Around the world, around the clock
England
Aidan O’Brien has never won the Breeders’ Cup Classic and minces no words when discussing his failings in that long string of failures.
It mostly comes down to insufficient preparation for the intensity of the race, particularly the speed from the gate, which is unlike anything Epsom Derby winner City of Troy has experienced.
So for Friday’s workout, O’Brien has arranged American-style gates, set the crew to replicate the American start and plans to send several of his other speedy types along to test his superstar.
Germany
Trainer Charlie Appleby sends Rebel’s Romance back to Cologne for Sunday’s Group 1 Preis von Europa, which he won two years ago. He went from that victory straight to a win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland. It’s a six-horse field, including two promising, but unexposed, 3-year-olds.
Japan
Catching up with last weekend’s action as some of the also-rans from the spring Classics look for better results in the fall.
Urban Chic saved ground in Sunday’s Group 2 Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen, a Japanese St. Leger trial, swung out around the leaders at the top of the Nakayama Racecourse stretch and powered home impressively to win by 1 3/4 lengths.
The favorite, Cosmo Kuranda, held off the others to finish second. Urban Chic, with Christophe Lemaire up for trainer Ryo Takei and owner Silk Racing, finished 2,200 meters in 2:11.6.
Regaleira’s woes continued in Monday’s Grade 2 Kansai Television Co. Ltd. Sho Rose Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Chukyo Racecourse.
The winner of last year’s Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes was sixth in the Satsuki Sho and fifth in the Tokyo Yushun but the Japanese punters bet him down to less than 2-1 for the Rose Stakes.
He never landed a blow as Queen’s Walk gobbled up an unbelievable amount of ground in the long stretch run and outfinished Celesta for the win.
Australia
Saturday’s Group 1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield doesn’t have Mr Brightside, who was entered before winning last weekend’s Makybe Diva at Flemington. It does have a solid field including Pericles, who capurted a win in the So You Think Stakes at Mooney Valley. The Underwood is 1,800 meters.
