Seize the Grey, Thorpedo Anna lead Parx Grade 1 probables

Preakness winner Seize the Grey and leading 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna lead the list of likely entrants for the Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion Stakes, the two $1 million Grade 1 races next weekend at Parx.

A total of 26 horses were identified by the Parx racing office Wednesday as probable starters in the Sept. 21 races that will be the last dirt Grade 1s for 3-year-olds before the Breeders’ Cup.

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Since Muth has been pointed by Bob Baffert to the California Crown (G1) on Sept. 28, and with Chad Brown training Sierra Leone up to the Breeders' Cup Classic in seven weeks, Seize the Grey and Stronghold are the only Grade 1 winners who are expected in the 1 1/8-mile Penn Derby

After his classic victory at Pimlico, Seize the Grey finished seventh in the Belmont Stakes and fourth in the Jim Dandy (G2). The Arrogate colt owned by MyRacehorse and trained by D. Wayne Lukas has a record of 12: 4-0-3 and earnings of $1,869,938.

Stronghold, an Eric and Sharon Waller homebred colt by Ghostzapper, won the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in April. Trained by Phil D’Amato, he came in seventh in the Kentucky Derby and placed second to Dragoon Guard in the Indiana Derby (G3).

Dragoon Guard, whose four-race winning streak includes the Indiana Derby and West Virginia Derby (G3), carries the most momentum into the Penn Derby. Batten Down, who scored in the June running of the Ohio Derby (G3), and Uncle Heavy, who finished first seven months ago in the Withers (G3), are the only other graded-stakes winners expected in the race.

Thorpedo Anna returns to intra-division competition in the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion for 3-year-old fillies. She faced males for the first time when she finished second by a head to Fierceness last month in a memorable renewal of the Travers (G1).

Owned by Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Sherri McPeek, the daughter of Fast Anna is 4-for-4 this year racing against fillies. She finished first for trainer Kenny McPeek in the Fantasy (G2), Kentucky Oaks (G1), Acorn (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks.

With the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in her future Nov. 2 at Del Mar, Thorpedo Anna is expected to face two other Grade 1 winners. Power Squeeze won last month’s Alabama, Candied scored last year in the Alcibiades. Neither race included Thorpedo Anna, who is a combined 3-for-3 against Power Squeeze and Candied.

Entries for the Penn Derby, the Cotillion and the rest of the Sept. 21 Parx card will be taken Monday.