Report: Outadore scratches from Friday's Penn Mile

A field of seven horses was entered for the eighth running of the $300,000, Grade 2 Penn Mile for 3-year-olds going one mile on the turf Friday at Penn National Race Course, but the morning-line favorite reportedly will scratch.

Marcus Hirsch of the Daily Racing Form said in a Twitter post that Outadore would scratch to run in the Paradise Creek at Belmont Park on Sunday. Trained by Wesley Ward, he had been installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite.

Post time for Penn National's 11-race card is 6 p.m. EDT, and the Penn Mile set as the fourth race scheduled for about 7:45 p.m.

The morning-line second choice, at 9-5, is Annex, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott. A winner of his first three lifetime starts including the Cutlers Bay and Palm Beach stakes at Gulfstream Park earlier this year, Annex finished eighth, beaten only five and half lengths, as the favorite in the Grade 2 American Turf run at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby day race card. Jockey Junior Alvarado has the mount.

The Mike Maker trained Chess’s Dream, owned by Michael Dubb, Steven Bouchey, Bethlehem Stables LLC and Chester A. Bishop, also last raced in the American Turf checking in seventh. Chess’s Dream was victorious in the Kitten’s Joy (G3) at Gulfstream Park in January and will be ridden by jockey Kendrick Carmouche on Friday.

Hall of Famer and recent Kentucky Derby winning jockey John Velazquez will be aboard Eric Fein’s Original. Trained by John Terranova II, Original placed third in his last two starts – the Woodhaven Stakes at Aqueduct and the aforementioned Kitten’s Joy won by Chess’s Dream.

Rounding out the field is Godolphin LLC’s Gershwin, trained by Michael Stidham and ridden by Joe Bravo; J Park Racing LLC and Delia Nash’s Sibelius, trained by Jeremiah O’Dwyer and ridden by Sheldon Russell; and Kernan E Morris Jr. and Jagger Inc.’s The King Cheek, trained by Jamie Ness and ridden by Jaime Rodriguez.

The Penn Mile earned Grade 3 status after just three runnings and moved up to Grade 2 status after just four renewals. In its short history, prior Penn Mile winners include Breeders’ Cup champion Bobby’s Kitten as well as Grade 1 winners Catch a Glimpse and Force the Pass.

The Penn Mile is the final leg of an “All Stakes – All Turf Pick 4.” The Pick 4 will kick off with two $100,000 stakes for Pennsylvania-breds followed by the $100,000 Penn Oaks for 3-year-old fillies going one mile on the turf.

Also featured on the evening card is a mandatory payout of the Hollywood High 5 carryover in race 7 which currently stands at over $216,000 as of Friday, May 21.