PHRA offers free PP’s for Penn National and
PARX Racing on November 27th
Will the precocious The Boy’s Warrior continue his winning streak in the $100,000 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes at Parx on Thanksgiving eve? The two year old won all three of his starts including The Whistle Pig Stakes at PARX Racing and The Mark McDermott Stakes at Presque Isle Downs. The six horse field in the Nursery Stakes for two year old Pennsylvania breds includes two maidens and one first time starter. The other two entries are the stakes placed Ballad of Warrior who won first time out and was second to The Boy’s Warrior in The Mark McDermott Stakes, and Baby Dukes, trained by Butch Reid, who won two races and was stakes placed in the Rocky Run Stakes at Delaware Park. The Boy’s Warrior and Ballad of Warrior are owned by Warrior’s Reward LLC, and both are by the now pensioned Pennsylvania stallion, Warrior’s Reward. “Warrior’s Reward was accepted by Old Friends, and he’s now down in Kentucky,” explained Donnie Brown, partner in Warrior’s Reward LLC. “We own The Boy’s Warrior and Ballad of Warrior, and The Boy was quicker to develop than Ballad of Warrior. The Boy is trained by Tim Girten, and he was at Turfway until a few days ago when he shipped to Parx. The Pennsylvania breeder’s program is great, and we breed to race in Pennsylvania. Ballad of Warrior is coming along and just took longer to mature than The Boy’s Warrior. We are just keeping our fingers crossed and our hopes high,” said Brown.
Post time at PARX Racing on November 27th is 12:05 P.M., and the card includes the Nursery and three other stakes, the Turkey Trot Stakes, the Let’s Give Thanks Stakes, and the Cornucopia Stakes. Penn National post time on Thanksgiving eve is 6:15 P.M. and includes the Shamrock Rose Stakes, $100,000 for two year old Pennsylvania bred fillies at six furlongs, the Susquehanna Valley Stakes, and the Chocolate Town Stakes.
The mile and seventy yard Turkey Trot Stakes for three year olds and up at PARX Racing drew eight entries including Ninetyprcentmaddie, a Pennsylvania bred stakes winner, Concealed Carry, winner in his last race of the M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile Stakes, and the oldest horse in the race , seven year old Irish Cork. Trained by John Servis, Irish Cork won this year’s Storm Cat Stakes at Parx.”He is doing great right now, and he has a good chance if he has a good pace to run at,” said John. Post time for the Turkey Trot is 2:20 P.M.
The Let’s Give Thanks Stakes for three year olds and up at 61/2 furlongs attracted a field of nine. Favorites include Witty, winner of the Nursery Stakes in 2021, and Capo, winner of the 2023 Nursery Stakes. Post time is 2:47 P.M.
The Cornucopia Stakes for fillies and mares three and up drew nine entries including Pennsylvania bred Disco Ebo, winner of the 2021 Shamrock Rose Stakes. Other contenders include Bourbon Bon Bay, winner of last year’s Cornucopia, and Patty Brown Eyes, by new PA stallion Enticed. Post time is 3:41 P.M.
Penn National’s Thanksgiving eve card features the $100,000 Shamrock Rose Stakes for two year old Pennsylvania bred fillies at six furlongs. The ten horse field includes favorite Icona Mama, a graded stakes placed filly. She won her first out at Presque Isle Downs followed by a second in the Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga, and a third in the Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs. Another contender is the stakes winner Dixieland Belle. She won a stake in her first and only time out in the Finest City Stakes at Presque Isle Downs. Post time 8:11P.M.
The Chocolate Town Stakes at one mile for three year olds and up includes favorites Byk, with five lifetime wins, Classic Union, seven lifetime wins and earnings over $200,000, and Tudox Opportunity with five lifetime wins and earnings over $140,000. Post time is 7:13P.M.
Early favorites Hot Fudge Warrior, Doctor Abbie, and Paula’s Surprise compete in the Susquehanna Valley Stakes at one mile for fillies and mares, three and up. Hot Fudge Warrior is a stakes placed winner of over $200,000, and Doctor Abbie is a multiple stakes placed winner with nine lifetime wins. Paula’s Surprise, by Munnings, won her last start. Post time for The Susquehanna Stakes is 7:42P.M.
Thanksgiving eve racing at PARX Racing and Penn National offers an exciting lineup of racing that showcases the leading two year old Pennsylvania breds along with proven older competitors.
