By Dick Jerardi
Pennsylvania Derby Day has been such a success since moving to mid-September that each year there is a reason to try something fresh to keep the momentum going. This year, Saturday’s event will be 15 races over what likely will end up being eight hours from late morning until early evening. And that will be preceded Friday with Pennsylvania Day at the Races, featuring an entire card of races for Pa Breds that will include three stakes and 11 races in all.
Every Saturday race has a purse of at least $100,000. When you total all the purses up, including the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby and the $1 million Cotillion, it comes to an even $4 million, with the final seven races all stakes. If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch the back end of the card on NBC Sports Philadelphia (4:30-7 pm). The broadcast will not only include at least three live races (the $1 million races and the Gallant Bob), but also features on new Hall of Famer Smarty Jones, training legend Wayne Lukas as well as the possible favorites in the Derby (Baeza) and Cotillion (Scottish Lassie).
Hall of Fame trainers Bob Baffert, Mark Casse, Bill Mott and Steve Asmussen each have horses in the stakes races. Jockeys Irad Ortiz, Joel Rosario, Tyler Gaffalione and Luis Saez are in from out of town to ride.
The eight, ninth and 10th races Friday are The Prince Lucky, The Imply and The Storm Cat, each with $100,000 purses. They will be a showcase for the power of the state’s breeding program in 2025.
There likely will be a few scratches, of course, but Saturday’s card as drawn has 149 horses, essentially 10 per race, an amazing number in this era of declining foal crops and diminishing field size.
The Pa. Derby has a field of 10. The Big Five would be Baeza on the board four straight times against the top of the 3-year-old division, Sovereignty and Journalism, in the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Jim Dandy, Magnitude, runaway winner of the Risen Star and Iowa Derby, Gosger, agonizing seconds behind Journalism in the Preakness and Haskell, Big Truzz (Ellis Park Derby winner) and Goal Oriented from the barn of four-time Pa. Derby winning trainer Baffert.
Trainer John Shirreffs, who oversaw the amazing career of Zenyatta, said he is more proud of Baeza than frustrated by the close calls against the stars. He has started horses at 28 race tracks in his half century career. Parx will be 29 when Baeza comes out of the starting gate.
The Derby field is completed by So Sandy (Parx Hall of Famer Kendrick Carmouche rides), Happy Delusional for Parx-based Lou Linder who gets the nation’s wins leader Paco Lopez to ride, Ohio Derby winner Mo Plex, improving David of Athens and and claimer Altobelli.
The Cotillion is absolutely loaded with three Grade I winners in the eight-horse field. Scottish Lassie (Frizette, CCA Oaks), La Cara (Ashland, Acorn) and Good Cheer (Kentucky Oaks) have combined to win five G-I Stakes among them.
Good Cheer actually won her first seven races for trainer Brad Cox and has been favored in all nine of her starts. It will be interesting to see if the bettors go back there or decide on Scottish Lassie who has won just twice in six starts, but when she wins, she wins big: 9 lengths in the Frizette, 15 1/2 lengths in the CCA Oaks. La Cara’s weapon is her early speed. Left alone up top, she is dangerous.
Local trainers Uriah St. Lewis (Not Too Late) and Linder (Ourdaydreaminggirl) will be trying to pull off a giant upset. Cathryn Sophia winner Dry Powder, Charles Town Oaks winner Indy Bay and Indiana Oaks winner Clicquot complete one of the very best renditions of the Cotillion.
The Saturday stakes bonanza begins with the $200,000 Grade III 1 1/2-mile Greenwood Cup (race 9). No Next to crush the field this year so a wide open group that includes $1 million earner Repo Rocks for Parx’s leading trainer Jamie Ness.
The $150,000 Liberty Bell follows with a really strong group of female sprinters. Alani (Michael Moore) and Carmelina (Butch Reid) have combined for 14 wins and likely represent the home team’s best chance in the race.
Far Mo Power (Linder again) finished first in the $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile three years ago, but was disqualified and placed second. Later, the winner was DQ’d for a medication violation so Far Mo Power became the official winner. The now 7-year-old will try to win the race again versus a strong field.
The $400,000 Grade II Gallant Bob has horses from Kentucky, Minnesota, New York and California in addition to a decent local contingent. The headliner will be morning-line favorite Barnes, named for Baffert’s longtime assistant Jimmy Barnes. The son of super sire Into Mischief was purchased for $3.2 million two years ago. He’s been good, not great so far. But his two best races (second to Journalism in the San Felipe and third in the Allen Jerkens) are more than good enough to win this Bob.
Race 15 is the $150,000 Parx Sprint, an absolutely wide-open affair that includes 2023 Gallant Bob winner Damon’s Mound and Parx Hall of Famer Alfredo Velazquez’s stable star Buccherino.
So there you have it: 26 races over two days, some of America’s best horses, trainers and jockeys at Parx, large fields, serious betting action, perfect just about autumn afternoons. Enjoy it all.
