5 takeaways from Saturday's Pennsylvania Derby day races

Every time Firenze Fire seems to be down and out, he rebounds with a big victory. We have seen it so many times before. As a promising 2-year-old, the Jason Servis trainee won three of his first four races, including the Champagne (G1), but then the wheels came off in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile when he finished a well-beaten seventh.

Frienze Fire rebounded with a victory in the Jerome, which kindled Kentucky Derby dreams for owner Ron Lombardi. The Derby trail was not the right place for him, and four losses ensued. But in the Dwyer (G3) at Belmont Park in July, it was back to the winner’s circle with his career best performance.

The seven-furlongs in the Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga seemed like an ideal distance, but the best he could do was third behind a lights-out performance from Promises Fulfilled.

As always, it was a mistake to count the son of Poseidon’s Warrior out. In the Gallant Bob (G3) at Parx, he won again, this time going six furlongs. This time, the connections can dream about a better Breeders’ Cup outcome with the Dirt Mile and the Sprint both possible in 2018.

“You have to think, the way he broke – God, he broke two in front – you have to think maybe Sprint,” Servis said. “But we'll look at them both – see which one's softer.”

Lots of racing fans have seen the famous photo, “The Savage,” which shows Great Prospector biting Golden Derby, the eventual winner of the 1980 Tremont Stakes at Belmont Park. Saturday at Parx, in two separate races the number 9 horse tried to savage a competitor.

In race 4, Yeah Rocky, not once but twice, reached over and attempted to bite the horse to his inside. Then in the Gallant Bob, it looked a lot like the famous photo, as a stretch duel between Firenze Fire and Whereshetoldmetogo ended with an attempt to savage the eventual winner.

The official chart says: “WHERESHETOLDMETOGO led narrowly at the eighth pole, lost the lead and savaged the winner approaching the wire.”

After the race, Irad Ortiz Jr., who was up on Firenze Fire proclaimed, “He tried to bite me! We passed the wire and Jeremy [Rose, jockey of Whereshetoldmetogo] said, ‘Man, he tried to bite you.’”

Around the country’s Thoroughbred race tracks, there are plenty of situations each and every day that the stewards are faced with decisions that could affect the final results of races. Ofentimes they choose to not make a change, feeling that final outcome of the race was not altered.

But, on the big stage of the $1 million Cotillion (G1), the Parx Racing stewards changed the results, took down the best 3-year-old in the country in Monomoy Girl, and moved up Midnight Bisou.

What was most surprising was that on this very big stage. And let’s face it: The Parx stewards don’t get to adjudicate Grade 1 races very often. They took down a filly who had only lost once in her career. Agree or disagree, the stewards were not afraid to make a very tough decision.

There’s a reason that Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith is nicknamed “Big Money” Mike. He flew in to sweep the $1 million races. The official numbers gave $562,000 to the owners of Midnight Bisou and $556,000 to the connections of McKinzie. For Smith himself, that’s not a bad day’s work at the going rate of 10% for the winning jockey -- $56,200 and $55,600 for a $111,800 payday. That is indeed big money, Mike.

Bigger riches could be ahead of the veteran rider with McKinzie returning from his six-month layoff to win the Pennsylvania Derby in front-running style. Connections will decide between the Breeders' Cup Classic and Dirt Mile. Saturday's race ran at 1 1/8 miles.

Smith became the first jockey to win both the Pennsylvania Derby and the Cotillion in the same year. Smith had three previous victories in the Cotillion – Songbird in 2016, Close Hatches won in 2013, and in 2000 it was Jostle. Last year, West Coast gave Smith his first victory in the Pennsylvania Derby. He won both races Saturday for Hall of Fame trainers, the Cotillion for Steve Asmussen and the Pennsylvania Derby for Bob Baffert.