Cox, Baffert, Walsh prepare for slop in Penn Derby, Cotillion

The connections of the top contenders for Saturday’s Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion Stakes, the Grade 1, $1 million co-headliners at Parx Racing, continued to keep close tabs on the weather.

“Looks like we might get some rain, huh?” said Brad Cox, trainer of Pennsylvania Derby second choice Saudi Crown. “I’m OK with it. He handles it. He’s a good mover and the stallion (Always Dreaming) won the Derby in the mud. Tapit’s seem to like it, and he’s out of a Tapit mare. One way or another, I think we’ll get an honest, good effort out of him.”

Cox’s colleagues generally echoed his sentiments, even with the week-long forecast that called for rain and strong wind from a tropical storm headed for the Philadelphia area Saturday.

“I think he’ll be fine,” said Bob Baffert, who trains Pennsylvania Derby morning-line favorite Reincarnate. “He is a gray horse, and most gray horses like the mud.”

Reincarnate, the 3-1 choice on the line from post 11, finished third in his only attempt on anything but a fast track in the Rebel Stakes (G2) on a sloppy surface in late February at Oaklawn.

“It’s certainly not what you’d want on a big day, is it?” said Brendan Walsh, who trains Cotillion morning-line favorite Pretty Mischievous. “She’s run on a wet track before and won.”

Pretty Mischievous, winner of the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and the consensus leader of the 3-year-old fillies division, won a seven-furlong allowance race in her second career start on a sloppy track in late October at Churchill Downs.

For the Penn Derby, Walsh also entered Gilmore, who won an off-the-turf allowance race Aug. 30 at Saratoga. He’s hoping to continue his good run at Parx.

“I won my first graded stakes here with Cary Street years ago,” Walsh said of the 2014 Greenwood Cup (G3), the renewal of which is among the eight other stakes on Saturday’s card. “And I won the Greenwood Cup with Scuba, too. It’s been a good trip for me. ... I haven’t had too many bad days up here, so hopefully it continues.”

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who won the 2019 Pennsylvania Derby with 31-1 long shot Math Wizard, sends out Imonra in the Cotillion and West Coast Cowboy in the Derby.

Imonra has raced on a wet track three times with a win and a third plus a sixth in Charles Town Oaks (G2) on a wet-fast track. West Coast Cowboy also has raced on a wet track three times with two wins and a second. He comes out of one of those efforts, a runner-up result in the West Virginia Derby (G3) on a good track at Mountaineer Park.

“I have a couple that have run on the slop already, so hopefully they will handle it,” Joseph said. “Each track is different, you know? I don’t study the forecast. What is going to be is going to be.”