Fields set for Grade 1 betPARX Pennsylvania Derby, Grade 1 Cotillion on star-studded Saturday at Parx Racing

Posted On 18 Sep 2024

By Tom Law —-

Powerful field of 11 set for Saturday’s betPARX Pennsylvania Derby

BENSALEM, Pa. – A field of 11 3-year-olds led by the late-blooming Dragoon Guard, Grade 1 winner Stronghold and Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey was entered Monday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million betPARX Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.

Juddmonte’s homebred Dragoon Guard, a son of the late Hall of Famer Arrogate trained by Brad Cox, was installed as the 9-5 favorite by Parx’s Director of Racing and Racing Secretary David Osojnak. Regular pilot Florent Geroux takes the return call on Dragoon Guard, the winner of four straight including the Grade 3 Indiana Derby and Grade 3 West Virginia Derby.

Cox and Geroux teamed to win last year’s Pennsylvania Derby with Saudi Crown and each seek their second victory in the state’s signature race.

Stronghold, who has finished first or second in seven of eight career races, breaks from the far outside under regular rider Antonio Fresu. Bred and owned by Rick and Sharon Waller and trained by Phil D’Amato, the son of Ghostzapper comes off a second-place finish in the Indiana Derby.

The 5-2 second choice on the morning line, Stronghold won the Sunland Derby and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby before running a respectable seventh in the Kentucky Derby. After that race, the connections circled the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile as an end-of-the-year goal, but wanted to stay with running against 3-year-olds until then, Rick Waller said.

Stronghold was pegged as the 5-2 second choice for the 9-furlong Pennsylvania Derby for owners Eric and Sharon Waller and trainer Phil D’Amato. The 3-year-old son of Ghostzapper finished second last time out behind Dragoon Guard in the July 6. Indiana Derby. Antonio Fresu rides Stronghold from post 11.

MyRacehorse Stable’s Seize the Grey, the winner of the Preakness over Kentucky Derby champion Mystik Dan and others for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, is the 5-1 third choice for the Pennsylvania Derby. The son of Arrogate hasn’t been out since finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy July 27 at Saratoga Race Course. Jaime Torres, aboard for Seize the Grey’s last four starts that include a victory in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile, takes the return mount.

The Pennsylvania Derby goes as the 13th of 14 races Saturday with a post time of 6:10 p.m. ET.

The Pennsylvania Derby and Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion Stakes headline Saturday’s card that also includes the $400,000, Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes for 3-year-olds at 6 furlongs; the $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile Stakes for 3-year-olds and up; the $250,000 Grade 3 Turf Monster Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 5 furlongs on the turf; the Grade 3, $200,000 Greenwood Cup for 3-year-olds and up 1 1/2 miles; and $100,000 Parx Sprint Stakes for 4-year-olds and up at 6 1/2 furlongs.

The card also features a pair of $100,000 events for Pennsylvania-bred and sired 2-year-olds in the Whistle Pig Stakes and Miss Blue Tye Dye Stakes; and the $100,000 Plum Pretty Stakes for Pennsylvania-bred fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up and $100,000 Alphabet Soup Handicap for Pennsylvania-bred 3-year-olds and up.

The field for the Grade 1, $1 million betPARX Pennsylvania Derby, with jockeys and morning-line odds:

1. Doc Sullivan, Jose Ortiz, 15-1;

2. Seize the Grey, Jaime Torres, 5-1;

3. Lonesome Boy, Adam Bowman, 20-1;

4. Timeout, Joel Rosario, 10-1;

5. Protective, Irad Ortiz Jr., 8-1;

6. Just Step On It, Jose Lezcano, 15-1;

7. Dragoon Guard, Florent Geroux, 9-5;

8. Unmatched Wisdom, Flavien Prat, 8-1;

9. Who’s the King, Mike Smith, 20-1;

10. Uncle Heavy, Mychel Sanchez, 12-1;

11. Stronghold, Antonio Fresu, 5-2.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Seize the Grey: “He is on his game. He’s doing great. He really worked well last week (5 furlongs in 59.20 Friday at Saratoga). I expect a big effort. That work really tipped his hand. The races that were less than spectacular at Saratoga (seventh in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and fourth in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy) … well, a new surface may help him. I really think we are back in business.”

Trainer Bill Mott, Timeout: “His record (one win, two seconds, two thirds in five starts) is his record. He was third in the Curlin and second in an allowance at Saratoga. He has been an improving horse. His last work (4 furlongs in 48.77 Sunday at Saratoga) was a very nice work. He has been working well, doing well. The post (four) is OK. We aren’t going to be forced to do anything. Just hope to do well the rest of the week and ship well (Friday from Saratoga). We’ll get there and we’ll see.”

Owner and breeder Rick Waller, Stronghold: “We originally planned to run in the Haskell and the Pennsylvania Derby, but the trainer decided he’d rather go to the Indiana Derby (July 6) instead. We intend to run in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and we were pointing to races to get there. This gives us a chance to give him a break before the Breeders’ Cup. He’s a good horse with the right demeanor. He spends his time eating and sleeping and he’s a great traveler. We’re looking forward to the race.”

Thorpedo Anna bids for another Grade 1 in Saturday’s Cotillion

BENSALEM, Pa. – Already the likely champion 3-year-old filly of 2024, Thorpedo Anna returns to the ranks of the distaff set when she headlines Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing.

Trained by Kenny McPeek and owned by Brookdale Racing Inc., Mark Edwards, Judy B. Hicks and Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing, Thorpedo Anna was made the 4-5 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion by Parx’s Director of Racing and Racing Secretary David Osojnak. She will be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr.

Thorpedo Anna is coming off a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, her first try against males. She lost a thrilling stretch drive with 2023 champion 2-year-old male Fierceness by a head.

The daughter of Fast Anna has won her other four starts this year by a combined 18 3/4 lengths. Three of those races – the Kentucky Oaks, Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks – were Grade 1s. Thorpedo Anna starts from post six in the field of eight.

Among the top challengers in the Cotillion are Lea Farms LLC’s Power Squeeze, who has won five of seven starts, including the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga for trainer Jorge Delgado, Juddmonte’s Tarifa, winner of a pair of Grade 2 races this year (Fair Grounds Oaks and Rachel Alexandra Stakes) for trainer Brad Cox and the Bill Mott-trained Sidamara, another Juddmonte runner, who was second in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks, beaten a nose by Power Squeeze, in her last start.

The Cotillion goes as the 12th of 14 races Saturday with a post time of 5:20 p.m. ET.

The field for the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion, with jockeys and morning-line odds:

1. Power Squeeze, Irad Ortiz Jr., 4-1;

2. Scalable, Paco Lopez, 10-1;

3. Tarifa, Flavien Prat, 5-1;

4. Everland, Luan Machado, 20-1;

5. Sidamara, Jose Ortiz, 6-1;

6. Thorpedo Anna, Brian Hernandez Jr., 4-5;

7. Gun Song, John Velazquez, 10-1;

8. Mystic Lake, Mike Smith, 12-1

Trainer Kenny McPeek, Thorpedo Anna: “Why would you not make her the favorite? All we are going to worry about is getting her down there in good order and going from there. She worked really good (5 furlongs in 1:00.20 at Saratoga Saturday). She just needed to get a little wind out of it. She came bounding out of it. It’s all good. She is eating to the bottom of her tub. She came out of the Travers super, no worse for wear. Steady as she goes, solid as ever. She likes training, she likes running. We will ship either Thursday or Friday (from Saratoga).”

Trainer Bill Mott, Sidamara: “Our filly is doing well, and we are taking on a heavyweight. We are in the five post and that is probably better to be there rather than being hung outside, I can’t complain about the post. (Thorpedo Anna) is going to have to have an off day to get beat or some bad racing luck. That can happen.”