Barn Tour: Atop Parx standings, Ness talks about 9 standouts

Jamie Ness just wrapped up his third consecutive training title at Parx Racing, and once again, it wasn’t even close.

For 2022 Ness had 166 winners from 588 starts. No other trainer had more than 67 winners. True, that’s a lot of starters. But his 28 percent winning percentage was highest among anyone with more than 50 starts.

Ness also was the top trainer at Delaware Park for the meet that ended in November, with 66 wins from 254 stars. Again, nobody was close. And he’s a regular at Laurel Park, though not on the scale as at those other mid-Atlantic tracks.

It was from Parx where Ness spoke with Horse Racing Nation on Wednesday, providing an update on some of the top earners among the 100 or so horses in his stable for the latest in HRN's Barn Tour series.

Dilly Dilly Philly is a 7-year-old mare who finished second Tuesday in a starter allowance at Parx. In 14 starts last year, she finished first or second in all but one, when she was third. “Every time I put her in, she hits the board,” Ness said. He had no plans for her next start.

Divine Miracle. Another in-the-money machine, the 6-year-old gelding was 11: 6-2-2. His only off-the-board finish was in his only stakes appearance, an eighth-place finish in the black-type Storm Cat. He’s on the farm for the winter and will return in the spring, Ness said.

Exit Right. The 5-year-old gelding was 8-for-12 last year and finished third in an allowance optional-claiming race Monday. “He kind of tailed off a little bit,” last year, Ness said. “We freshened him up for a couple months, brought him back (Monday.)”

Uncle Irish. The 4-year-old gelding went 14: 3-3-4 in 2022, and last raced in October. “He's another one that's on the shelf for the winter. We ran him hard in our campaign as a 3-year old, he did really good for us. So we're bringing him back next year.”

You Must Chill. The 7-year-old gelding had nine starts last year, switching from dirt to grass for three of his four last starts. Three three all were stakes, and he had a second-, third- and fourth place showing in those starts. “He's kind of more of a turf horse,” Ness said. “After his last race here in the stakes race, we put him on the shelf until next year too.”

Six o’Clock Sarah. The 4-year-old filly had a 2022 record of 16: 6-1-6. Her last start was a third-place finish in an allowance optional claiming at Penn National. “Consistent horse, runs good every time. We'll kind of keep her at the same level she just ran at, find a race for her.”

Chickieness. This 3-year-old filly went 8: 3-3-1 last year. “She's good. She won the Maryland Million (Lassie Stakes). She's a homebred and she just won her allowance race again last time out. Pointing for a stakes on the 21st at Laurel, open 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs.”

Divisibility. This 3-year-old filly broke her maiden on New Year’s Eve after finishing in the money the three prior starts. Ness has no plans for what’s next. “She just ran, so I don't try and put the cart ahead of the horse.”

Lastchancechancey. Another 3-year-old filly, she won her debut Dec. 5. “She started one time and won here at Parx. Pennsylvania-bred. Coming back around to a race. There's really nothing to book, but she's ready to go. She did nothing wrong so far, one start, one win.”