Brown sending Pricedtoperfection to Penn Oaks

A field of seven sophomore turf fillies will take to the starting gate this Saturday evening in the $200,000 Penn Oaks, the first of four stakes on the biggest card of the year at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, which features the $500,000 Penn Mile (G3).  The program gets underway with the Penn Oaks at 6:05 P.M. EST as the start of an all-stakes Pick 4 culminating with the Penn Mile.

Trainer Chad Brown is no stranger to success at Penn National having sent out Bobby’s Kitten and Last Gunfighter to victories in the 2014 Penn Mile and Mountainview Handicap respectively and Strict Compliance to a score in last year’s Penn Oaks.  This year, Brown is back and will try and defend his title in the Oaks with Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence’s Pricedtoperfection.

The bay filly by Temple City stamped herself as a three-year-old filly to watch earlier this year when she notched her first graded stakes win by taking the Sweetest Chant (G3) at Gulfstream Park by three-quarters of a length.  She came back off that effort to finish third in the Memories of Silver at Aqueduct.

The lone graded stakes winner in the Penn Oaks field, Pricedtoperfection will be reunited with jockey Joel Rosario who rode her to victory in the Sweetest Chant.

After closing out her three-year-old season with a third place finish in the Jessamine (G3) at Keeneland, Outsider Art appeared set up for a big effort in the Edgewood (G3) on Kentucky Oaks day following a solid third – beaten just 1 1/4 lengths by Catch a Glimpse – in the Appalachian (G3), also at Keeneland, in her seasonal bow on April 14.

However, the daughter of Five Star Day never got on track on the Churchill Downs lawn and faded to twelfth in an effort that baffled trainer Jonathan Sheppard.

"She came out of the race well, so we were puzzled by her last-place finish in the Edgewood,” said Sheppard. “The best explanation is that she just does not like being in the middle of a pack of horses. She was in the mix, but then just backed out. When she won last September at Churchill, Drayden (Van Dyke) swung her wide for clear sailing and that will be our plan for the Oaks.”

Joe Bravo will have the call on Outsider Art at Penn National on Saturday.

While trainer Mark Casse sends out his star filly Catch a Glimpse to battle the boys in the Penn Mile, he won’t be without a shot in the Penn Oaks as he saddles Conquest Stables’ Conquest Serenade, a winner of two of her first three career outings.

After starting her career off with a runner-up finish to eventual Black Eyed Susan (G2) heroine Go Maggie Go at Gulfstream, the daughter of Unbridled’s Song would break her made next out at Keeneland and followed that up with an allowance victory over the Churchill Downs main track, also on Kentucky Oaks day.  Saturday night will mark Conquest Serenade’s first start on turf and first start going two turns.

Despite that, her trainer is confident that she can overcome those factors and put forth a good effort in the Penn Oaks.

"She's a young filly, but has a lot of talent,” said Casse. “The Oaks will mark several firsts for her.  First stakes, first going long and first on grass. We think she is a wonderful filly and has trained on the well on the turf."

Florent Geroux has the call on Conquest Serenade for Casse on Saturday.

George Bolton and Peter Leidel’s Sweet Victory enters the Penn Oaks off two consecutive wins, including a victory in her first try in stakes company on May 7 when she captured the Honey Ryder at Gulfstream Park.  Javier Castellano picks up the mount on Sweet Victory for trainer Todd Pletcher.

A pair of undefeated horses will also be in the gate for the Penn Oaks, including Catherine M. Willis’ Involuntary.  Trained by Arnaud Delacour, Involuntary broke her maiden at first asking at Tampa Bay Downs earlier this year and followed that up with an authoritative score on the Pimlico turf course. 

Trevor McCarthy has the mount on the chestnut daughter of City Zip.

The second of the unbeatens is Russell B. Jones Jr.’s Tippling Ways who makes just her second lifetime start after breaking her maiden going 5 1/2 furlongs at Laurel Park on April 29.  Angel Serpa rides Tippling Ways for trainer Tim Woolley.

The field for the Penn Oaks is rounded out by Lottie, trained by Graham Motion.  Motion won the inaugural running of the Penn Oaks back in 2014 with Interrupted.

The Penn Oaks also serves as one of the races in the Penn Gaming Racing Challenge Event, a year-long incentive competition comprised of 22 races worth more than $5 million purse money that offers bonuses such as waived entry fees at PNGI tracks the following year and a trip to the PNGI owned M Resort in Las Vegas.

$200,000 PENN OAKS

June 4, 2016

Race 1 – Post time 6:05pm EST

Fillies 3YO, 1 Mile (Turf)

PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer

1. Tippling Ways, Angel Serpa, 122, Tim Woolley

2. Conquest Serenade, Florent Geroux, 116, Mark E. Casse

3. Outsider Art, Joe Bravo, 122, Jonathan E. Sheppard

4. Pricedtoperfection, Joel Rosario, 122, Chad C. Brown

5. Sweet Victory, Javier Castellano, 122, Todd A. Pletcher

6. Lottie, Edgar S. Prado, 122, H. Graham Motion

7. Involuntary, Trevor McCarthy, 122, Arnaud Delacour

Source: Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course