By Dick Jerardi
For 4 hours and 10 races on Saturday, Parx will offer a veritable bonanza of action. The annual M.P Ballezzi Appreciation Mile (named for the late PTHA executive director Mike Ballezzi) goes as Race 5 with a field so strong that its combined earnings are $3.6 million. Three new Hall of Fame members – the track’s first announcer, Jack Lamar, Director of Broadcasting Operations Rich Romano, and the amazing horse Ruby Bleu (100 lifetime starts with 23 wins, 18 seconds, and 18 thirds) – will be honored. And, starting with race 6 and continuing through race 10, the National Thoroughbred League (NTL), with its 10 teams representing cities and states around the country, will make its local debut. The Philadelphia Stallions team will be represented at the track by co-owner and Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius (Dr. J.) Erving.
In addition to all those earnings, the Ballezzi field has also won a combined 58 races. Trainer John Servis has the powerhouse pair of Adero and Irish Cork. Each was slightly off his best last out, but are among the very best horses on the grounds. Concealed Carry nearly won the Mayor’s Mile on Smarty Jones Day against Adero. Celestial Moon was dynamite first off the claim for Jamie Ness. Magic Michael ran another winning race in the Greenwood Cup, but his problem was simple: Next was in that race.
Lamar’s most famous of thousands of calls was the 1986 Pennsylvania Derby when Broad Brush went from first on the far turn, to last (when he went straight instead of turning left into the stretch) and then first again with an impossible to believe stretch run by the outside fence.
Romano came to Parx as a camera operator not long after college and never left, rising through the broadcasting ranks to where he is now as one of the most talented and admired people at Parx.
Ruby Bleu was bred by Donnie Brown. He had the horse at the start of his career which included 11 times claimed and at the end when he made the final claim to send him to his retirement home in Ocala, Fla.
The NTL is just getting underway. The horses will be representing their teams which will be trying to accrue points over the five NTL Philadelphia Cup races. Those races have purses of nearly $300,000.
Race 9, a $65,000 optional claimer going 6 furlongs, could easily pass for a stakes race with such notable local horses as Twisted Ride, Ninetyprcentmaddie, Veeson and One More Scoop.
The NTL Grand Finale, Race 10, is a $75,000 optional claimer going 7 furlongs. The race includes stakes winners Foggy Night, Irish Maxima and Sweet Willemina.
In addition to the competition on the track, the NTL is expecting a number of sports celebrities to be at Parx, including former Eagles Brian Westbrook, Seth Joyner, Hollis Thomas. Barrett Brooks, Freddie Mitchell, Irving Fryar. Lito Shepard and Fred Barnett.
The NTL is quite new to the horse racing scene. But any concept that involves Dr. J, attracts some sports stars while featuring a competition between areas and quality racing is certainly welcomed.
