PARX: Nelson Avenue shows grit in Parx Dirt Mile victory; Stakes Recaps

From Tom Law —-

Nelson Avenue shows grit in Parx Dirt Mile victory

It took a while, but Nelson Avenue finally got back to the winner’s circle. All it took was a return to Parx Racing.

The 6-year-old gelding, owned by Photos Finish and trained by Jorge Abreu, won Saturday’s $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile Stakes at Parx Racing. The last time Nelson Avenue won a race was New Year’s Eve of 2024, when he rolled to an 11 1/4-length victory in the Blitzen Stakes at Parx.

Saturday wound up a lot closer.

Ridden by Hall of Famer Joel Rosario for the first time, Nelson Avenue rallied down the stretch and caught Dilger and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. in the shadow of the wire to win by a half-length.

The Parx Dirt Mile marked the eighth start of the year for the son of Into Mischief, who had a pair of seconds and a third. Nelson Avenue, even-money favorite in the field of nine, won in 1:36.13.

Dilger, the 7-2 second choice trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. set the early pace, carving out fractions of 22.73, 46.72 and 1:10.19. Ortiz pleaded with his mount to squeeze out the final sixteenth of a mile but could not hold off the steady rally of Nelson Avenue.

Rosario came with his bid as Nelson Avenue raced on the inside of Coastal Mission and jockey Arnaldo Bocachica in deep stretch. He gradually eased past that rival and put his sights on Dilger.

Dilger held second, a length in front of Coastal Mission, who was 4 lengths in front of Duke of Gloucester.

Nelson Avenue got his seventh win in 24 career starts. In his last two starts, he ran on the grass. He was a well-beaten fourth, beaten 9 1/4 lengths in the Tapit Stakes August 28 at Kentucky Downs. He finished second by a neck in a July 18 allowance at Saratoga Race Course in his prior start.

The Parx Dirt Mile was the seventh time Nelson Avenue competed at the distance, and he now has three wins, two seconds and a third at the trip. He earned $162,000 and boosted his bankroll to $565,305.

– Tim Wilkin

Winning trainer Jorge Abreu: “He runs both surfaces pretty even, but I think a touch better on the turf. He doesn’t mind the dirt either. He didn’t today. He won here back in December. Before the race I told (Rosario), ‘I don’t want you in a speed duel. You come out of there running and just run your race.’ A guy like him, you shouldn’t give any instructions. I have to give credit to the owner. I usually don’t like to run horses back too quick. He told me we should nominate for that race, and if you don’t like what you see (then don’t run). He came out of that race in Kentucky so well. I think we’ll keep him in New York though.”

Winning jockey Joel Rosario: “He ran a good race today. The horse kept moving in front and he came and got him so that was good. It looked like he had some speed, but the other two looked like they were going to go. They have good speed, so I think it worked out perfect for him.”

Did you think you were going to catch Dilger? “I knew (my horse) was traveling really good, but you never know. I was trying to save a little for the end. I feel like he handled it. The fractions were fast, but the track is a little quick today so you don’t know. I wasn’t sure at one point, but he got it done.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Dilger, second): “He broke and he has speed. I tried to let the outside horse go, but he pulled me right (to the lead) without using, without asking him to be there, so I took it. We did go a little fast, but that was the way the race set up. He tried right to the wire. That was a trough beat.”

PHOTOS ATTACHED

Nelson Avenue (1) and Joel Rosario edge Dilger and Irad Ortiz Jr. in Saturday’s $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile at Parx Racing. Taylor Ejdys/EQUI-PHOTO.

Mystic Lake powers to Liberty Bell score

With four horses entered in Saturday’s Princess Rooney Stakes at Gulfstream Park, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. opted to send Mystic Lake to Parx Racing for the $150,000 Liberty Bell Stakes. That proved to be a prudent decision.

Owned by C2 Racing Stables and Stefania Farms, the 4-year-old daughter of Mo Town took the lead in the first 100 yards and was never headed in capturing the 6 1/2-furlong stakes on betPARX Pennsylvania Derby Day.

Breaking just behind Confirmed Star and Carmelina, jockey Tyler Gaffalione took 6-5 favorite Mystic Lake to the lead through a quarter mile in :21.88. He maintained the advantage over Carmelina and Volleyballprincess around the turn, with the rest of the seven-horse field well behind after a half mile in :44.08. Carmelina took her shot on the turn before fading and Volleyballprincess made a stretch run, but there was no catching Mystic Lake.

Volleyballprincess ran second with Bella Queen closing from last to take third.

Mystic Lake, who won in 1:15.87, collected her fourth listed stakes win at four tracks in the Liberty Bell. Fourth in last year’s Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes, Mystic Lake improved to 11-for-20 with $1,447,642 in earnings.

– Paul Halloran

Winning trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.: “She is a winning machine. After Churchill (ninth-place finish in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff May 3), we wanted to get her back on a winning streak. We wanted to pick our spots. She is very versatile. She can run from 6 (furlongs) probably to a mile. Last year, she ran very good in the Cotillion behind Thorpedo Anna (finishing fourth). Her best distance is probably 7 furlongs. She likes the lead but she doesn’t have to have the lead, which is a good thing. Around the barn she is cool, around the paddock she is cool. On the track, she gets a little keen in the mornings. That is the hardest part with her. You just have to get her to relax. We were confident coming in, but you had to respect Butch Reid’s horse (Carmelina). She has run some fast figures and this is her home track. You never want to get too overconfident because that can set you up for a big disappointment. This might be it for this year. We may give her a break until next year. We will talk it over with the ownership group.”

Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione: “She’s a very straightforward filly. She breaks alertly and puts herself where she needs to be, dictates it and does it comfortably. She always finds more. Credit to Saffie and his team for keeping her sharp all year. She’s fast. Very quick. Honestly I didn’t think I was going that quick. When I came back I told the groom, ‘man, she did that really easy.’ Especially here, you don’t see those times that often. She does thing very easy. She controls the race and is a true professional.”

No Bien Ni Mal stays perfect in U.S. with Greenwood Cup victory

A steady, patient ride by Hall of Fame jockey Joel Rosario led No Bien Ni Mal to victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Greenwood Cup Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths at Parx Racing. No Bien Ni Mal won the 1 1/2-mile Greenwood Cup in 2:31.23 over the main track listed as fast.

No Bien Ni Mal sat third through the opening quarter-mile in :25.13 while Digital Ops and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. set the pace under a close watch by Double Your Money and jockey Melvis Gonzalez. After a half in :49.22, then 6 furlongs in 1:15.19, Gonzalez began to shift Double Your Money into battle to the outside of Digital Ops while Repo Rocks, after a slow start, began to inch up into fourth.

Approaching the quarter-pole, No Bien Ni Mal made a sweeping move along the outside while Double Your Money took command from a tiring Digital Ops amid a closing run from Praetorian Guard. Turning for home, No Bien Ni Mal advanced alongside a tough foe in Double Your Money and drifted clear to win. Double Your Money finished 7 3/4 lengths clear of longshot Praetorian Guard, who bested fourth-place finisher Digital Ops by 13 1/4 lengths.

The Brazilian-bred ridgling by Hofberg is now perfect through two starts in the U.S. and owns six victories from 12 starts. The Paulo Lobo-trainee made his stateside debut in mid-August at Saratoga Race Course, where he closed to win by a head in allowance company.

Saturday’s win was the first at Parx Racing for Lobo and owner Duplo Ouro Stables LLC.

No Bien Ni Mal, the 3-5 favorite, paid $3.40 to win.

– Anthony Affrunti

Winning trainer Paulo Lobo: “He used to run in South America long distances. All the pedigree is for distance. He has a bright future here. A very bright future. I nominated him for Churchill Downs, but it’s his second race and I tried to come a little easier with him. I’m building him for next year. We have big races next year. This is a very good horse. We are thinking big on this horse. Maybe Dubai next year. He’s a very good horse.”

Winning jockey Joel Rosario: “It looked like he wanted to go and he was up in the race. It looked like everything was going easy and he was in hand the whole time. It was easy for him. Turning for home, I just let him go and he went. He came to the paddock shaking his head and it looked like he was feeling happy. He finished and he was still doing the same. He is a good horse. I was not too concerned at all (about the distance). He looked like he could run all day. The whole way around, he was taking me nice. I just wanted to give him a good trip and make him nice and comfortable. He was the best horse for sure.”

Trainer Benjamin Dunn (Double Your Money, second): “I’ve been trying to run him a mile and a half since the first time I breezed this horse. He gallops out like no other horse. Most of his races you can’t pull him up. He ends up at the three-eighths pole with the outrider. He’s got speed and he can throw 25 second quarters all day. I knew the Brazilian horse (No Bien Ni Mal) was going to make a run at us and he’s a very nice horse. He just hooked us and we couldn’t make up that little bit of ground. If I could have run him 2 1/2 miles today I would have and liked my chances even more. The longer the better.”