Stakes Saturday: Pennsylvania Derby day's can't-miss races
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Photo:
Eclipse Sportswire
Each week, the NTRA will provide a guide to the best stakes races in North America and beyond. Races are listed in chronological order with all times Eastern.
The sophomore division is back in the forefront this weekend with both the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) for 3-year-olds and Cotillion Stakes (G1) for fillies highlighting Saturday’s card at Parx. The Pennsylvania Derby anchors a one-hour broadcast by NBC Sports, airing nationally on NBC from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Races from Churchill Downs, Woodbine, and Belmont Park will also be broadcast live on TVG as part of their comprehensive coast-to-coast racing coverage.
Grade 3 Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup Stakes at Laurel Park (3:30 p.m.)
Grade 1 winner Glorious Empire is scheduled to make a highly anticipated return to action in Saturday’s Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup, one of eight stakes worth $1.3 million on the September to Remember card that will be headlined by the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash. The 8-year-old Glorious Empire had been slated to run at Colonial Downs last month but came down with a virus that delayed his return until Saturday.
*Rating is based on HRN fan votes, which rank the Top Active Horses in training.
Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park (4 p.m.)
WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and SF Racing’s graded stakes winner New York Central, freshened off a disappointing effort last time out, returns to Maryland with a chance to rediscover his winning form in the 28th running of the six-furlong De Francis Dash. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Feargal Lynch teamed up to win last year’s De Francis with Switzerland, and they unite again this year with New York Central. In his only previous visit to Maryland, the 4-year-old Tapit colt was a 1 ¾-length winner of the six-furlong Grade 3 Maryland Sprint on the Preakness Stakes undercard May 18 in a stakes-record 1:08.74. New York Central followed the Maryland Sprint finishing last of seven in the seven-furlong Grade 2 John A. Nerud on July 6 at Belmont Park, just the third time in 10 lifetime starts he ran worse than third.
*Rating is based on HRN fan votes, which rank the Top Active Horses in training.
| Rank | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wonderful Light Tiz Wonderful | M. Nevin A. Cruz |
| Entered | ||||
| Killybegs Captain Mizzen Mast | J. Terranova E. Cancel |
| Entered | ||||
| Altissimo Noble Causeway | R. Zielinski C. Pilares |
| Entered | ||||
| Bon Raison Raison d'Etat | P. Tournas J. Martinez |
| Entered | ||||
| Sparticle Field Commission | C. O'Callaghan E. Flores |
| Entered | ||||
| He Hate Me Algorithms | S. Hough M. Franco |
| Entered | ||||
| New York Central Tapit | S. Asmussen F. Lynch |
| Entered | ||||
| Old Time Revival Brethren | K. Decker V. Carrasco |
| Entered |
Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx (4:34 p.m.)
Bulletin, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint last November, breaks from the outside post in the field of nine for the six-furlong Gallant Bob. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Bulletin won his first three career starts before suffering his first career loss when fourth in the William Walker Stakes. The son of City Zip was third last time out in the Better Talk Now Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on August 25.
*Rating is based on HRN fan votes, which rank the Top Active Horses in training.
| Rank | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| War Tocsin Violence | U. St. Lewis J. Bisono |
| Entered | ||||
| War Bridle Shakin It Up | J. Noble R. Silvera |
| Entered | ||||
| Trophy Chaser Twirling Candy | J. Avila J. Ortiz |
| Entered | ||||
| Strong Will Strong Mandate | L. Rivelli L. Saez |
| Entered | ||||
| Bethlehem Road Quality Road | D. Curry L. Rodriguez Castro |
| Entered | ||||
| Landeskog Munnings | D. O'Neill A. Cedillo |
| Entered | ||||
| King Jack Jimmy Creed | J. Hollendorfer J. Rosario |
| Entered | ||||
| Get Hammered Stay Thirsty | L. Rivelli I. Ortiz, Jr. |
| Entered | ||||
| Bulletin City Zip | T. Pletcher M. Smith |
| Entered |
Grade 3 Noble Damsel Stakes at Belmont Park (4:51 p.m.)
Set to make her first start since winning the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes on August 24 at Saratoga Race Course, Stephanie Seymour Brant's Significant Form will look to capture her third graded stakes this year headlining a field of six in the Noble Damsel on the inner turf going a mile. Trained by Chad Brown, the 4-year-old daughter of Creative Cause kicked off her 2019 campaign with a victory in the Grade 3 Intercontinental going seven furlongs on the Belmont turf in June. Significant Form then turned back in distance to 5 ½ furlongs for the Caress in July at Saratoga in which she ran fifth before stretching back out to win the 1 1/16-mile Ballston Spa.
*Rating is based on HRN fan votes, which rank the Top Active Horses in training.
| Rank | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellavais Tapit | T. Pletcher D. Davis |
| Entered | ||||
| Stella di Camelot Camelot | C. Brown J. Castellano |
| Entered | ||||
| Betty F Frankel | T. Morley K. Carmouche |
| Entered | ||||
| Capla Temptress Lope De Vega | W. Mott J. Lezcano |
| Entered | ||||
| Significant Form Creative Cause | C. Brown J. Velazquez |
| Entered | ||||
| Valedictorian Temple City | K. Breen J. Bravo |
| Entered |
Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx (5:14 p.m.)
Three Chimneys Farm’s Guarana aims to remain unbeaten in a Cotillion field loaded with top sophomore fillies. The Chad Brown-trainee defeated Kentucky Oaks heroine Serengeti Empress in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont on June 8 in what was just her second career start and returned to take the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 21. Serengeti Empress was narrowly defeated in the Grade 1 Test Stakes on August 3 while trainer John Servis aims to spring the upset with juvenile filly champion Jaywalk.
*Rating is based on HRN fan votes, which rank the Top Active Horses in training.
| Rank | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serengeti Empress Alternation | T. Amoss I. Ortiz, Jr. |
| Entered | ||||
| Afleet Destiny Hard Spun | U. Lewis |
| Entered | ||||
| Street Band Istan | J. Jones S. Doyle |
| Entered | ||||
| Jeltrin Tapizar | A. Delgado L. Reyes |
| Entered | ||||
| Collegeville Girl Central Banker | R. Vega A. Castillo |
| Entered | ||||
| Horologist Gemologist | J. Mazza L. Saez |
| Entered | ||||
| She Makes Me Smile Include | T. Gallimore W. Torres |
| Entered | ||||
| Guarana Ghostzapper | C. Brown J. Ortiz |
| Entered | ||||
| Sweet Sami D First Samurai | P. McBurney P. Lopez |
| Entered | ||||
| Bellafina Quality Road | S. Callaghan F. Prat |
| Entered | ||||
| Jaywalk Cross Traffic | J. Servis J. Rosario |
| Entere |
Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs (5:26 p.m.)
LNJ Foxwoods’ Grade 1 winner Covfefe tops a compact field of six 3-year-old fillies in Saturday’s Dogwood Stakes as she preps for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Trained by Brad Cox, Covfefe will make her first start since defeating Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress in the Grade 1 Test over seven furlongs at Saratoga on August 3. The strikingly fast 3-year-old sprinter has recorded back-to-back five-furlong bullet workouts as she blazes her path into the Dogwood.
*Rating is based on HRN fan votes, which rank the Top Active Horses in training.
| Rank | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell's the One Majesticperfection | N. Pessin C. Lanerie |
| Entered | ||||
| Take Charge Angel Will Take Charge | B. Colebrook B. Hernandez, Jr. |
| Entered | ||||
| Free Cover Congrats | W. Calhoun R. Albarado |
| Entered | ||||
| Istan Council Istan | J. Jones C. Sutherland |
| Entered | ||||
| Champagne Anyone Street Sense | I. Wilkes C. Landeros |
| Entered | ||||
| Covfefe Into Mischief | B. Cox S. Bridgmohan |
| Entered |
Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx (5:48 p.m.)
The complexion of the race changed massively when it was announced that Grade 1 Haskell Invitational winner Maximum Security would miss the 1 1/8-miles test due to illness. The Pennsylvania Derby still boasts loads of quality, however, with Preakness Stakes winner War of Will set to face Grade 1 winner Improbable and multiple graded stakes winner Mr. Money. War of Will has struggled to find his best form since his classic triumph, finishing off the board in both the Belmont Stakes and Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes. Mr. Money by contrast has loads of buzz after winning his last four starts – all Grade 3 races – including a six-length romp in the West Virginia Derby on August 3.
*Rating is based on HRN fan votes, which rank the Top Active Horses in training.
| Rank | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math Wizard Algorithms | S. Joseph, Jr. E. Zayas |
| Entered | ||||
| Improbable City Zip | B. Baffert M. Smith |
| Entered | ||||
| Shanghai Superfly Shanghai Bobby | M. Zulueta F. Pennington |
| Entered | ||||
| War of Will War Front | M. Casse T. Gaffalione |
| Entered | ||||
| Spun To Run Hard Spun | J. Guerrero P. Lopez |
| Entered | ||||
| Mr. Money Goldencents | W. Calhoun G. Saez |
| Entered | ||||
| Maximum Security New Year's Day | J. Servis L. Saez |
| Entered |
Grade 2 Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park (5:57 p.m.)
Calumet Farm's True Timber will attempt his first stakes victory when facing a wide-open field of seven assembled for the Kelso Handicap over the main track. True Timber enters the Kelso off of a six-month layoff having not raced since finishing ninth in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile on March 30 at Meydan Racecourse. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, the 5-year-old bay son of Mineshaft has placed against graded stakes company four times, most recently when running second to last year's Kelso winner Patternrecognition at 31-1 odds in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.
*Rating is based on HRN fan votes, which rank the Top Active Horses in training.
| Rank | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monongahela K One King | J. Servis L. Reyes |
| Entered | ||||
| True Timber Mineshaft | K. McLaughlin J. Bravo |
| Entered | ||||
| Pat On the Back Congrats | J. Englehart D. Davis |
| Entered | ||||
| Golden Brown Offlee Wild | P. McBurney K. Carmouche |
| Entered | ||||
| Prince Lucky Corinthian | T. Pletcher J. Velazquez |
| Entered | ||||
| Plainsman Flatter | S. McGaughey J. Lezcano |
| Entered | ||||
| Tale of Silence Tale of the Cat | B. Tagg J. Castellano |
| Entered |
Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks at Charles Town Races (10:15 p.m.)
A well-matched field of ten sophomore fillies are set to go to post in the seven-furlong Charles Town Oaks. Fashion Faux Pas is the lukewarm 7-2 choice on the morning line having most recently finished off the board in the Cathryn Sophia Stakes at Parx on September 2. The daughter of Flatter was previously second in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks on July 6 and captured the Light Hearted Stakes by 14 ½ lengths on June 5.
*Rating is based on HRN fan votes, which rank the Top Active Horses in training.
| Rank | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Chancia Uncle Mo | R. Brisset J. Ortiz | Entered | |||||
| Irish Mischief Into Mischief | B. Cox J. Rosario |
| Entered | ||||
| Partisian Diva Freedom Child | S. Viands J. Montano | Entered | |||||
| Lovesick Adios Charlie | D. Fawkes T. Gaffalione |
| Entered | ||||
| Newly Minted Central Banker | L. Rice I. Ortiz, Jr. |
| Entered | ||||
| Lady T N T Justin Phillip | J. Sharp J. Acosta |
| Entered | ||||
| Fashion Faux Pas Flatter | A. Delacour D. Centeno |
| Entered | ||||
| Taylor's Spirit Algorithms | S. Gelner A. Bocachica |
| Entered | ||||
| South of France Quality Road | T. Pletcher L. Saez |
| Entered | ||||
| Scatrattleandroll Scat Daddy | K. Rubley J. Pimentel |
| Entered |
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