Axelrod pulls away to win Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx

Passing up the Travers Stakes proved to be a good move for Axelrod, who coasted home to an easy win under Joe Bravo in the Grade 3, $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Saturday at Parx.

Shipping from Michael McCarthy’s Southern California stable, Axelrod made it back-to-back stakes wins in the Smarty Jones. The Warrior’s Reward colt also rallied to take last month's Grade 3 Indiana Derby by a head.

The winning margin was greater Saturday, with Axelrod drawing by four lengths. Bravo rated his mount behind Preakness contender Diamond King, Kentucky Derby runner Flameaway and Title Ready. First Mondays, Wait for It, Transistor and Cowboy Night made up the second half of the field.

Diamond King took it slow up front through the 1 1/16-miles race, setting opening fractions in an easy :24.93, 48.48 and 1:13.04. Axelrod was behind a wall of horses, leaving Bravo to guide him out to the five path turning for home. The move did not seem to slow down Axelrod, who completed the race in 1:45.34.

Diamond King, First Mondays, Transistor, Wait for It and Title Ready were next to cross the finish line.

Flameaway, Axelrod’s main contender in the race, came up empty in the stretch and beat only Cowboy Night. The Mark Casse-trained colt last finished second in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and went off as the Smarty Jones favorite.

The Smarty Jones was the fourth win in nine starts for Axelrod. Only a $25,000 yearling purchase from Florida for Slam Dunk Racing, the colt now has boast $540,925 in earnings.