Kim Pratt Photo
Top-class horses from the East coast, the West coast, and around the country meet in Pennsylvania this week -end at Parx Racing in Bensalem, PA for the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby and the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes, both with million dollar purses. On Friday, September 19th, Pennsylvania-breds take the spotlight on Pennsylvania’s Day at the Races. Post time is 12:15 for the Pennsylvania-bred races that include three stakes, the Prince Lucky Stakes for three year old Pennsylvania-bred and PA-sired horses, the Imply Stakes for three year old Pennsylvania-bred and PA-sired fillies, and the Storm Cat Stakes for Pennsylvania-breds, three and up.
Pennsylvania’s Day at the Races showcases the Pennsylvania Breeder’s Program and all races are restricted to Pennsylvania-breds. The Prince Lucky Stakes, purse $100,000, drew eight horses, and the favorites are stable mates Come Prima and Silhoutte Cove, both trained by Bernie Houghton. Come Prima won three races lifetime, and Silhoutte Cove won two races in three starts. Two other choices, Ballad of Warrior and The Boy’s Warrior are both by Warrior’s Reward, Pennsylvania’s second leading sire. Still a maiden, at odds of 10/1, Cool Million is by Pennsylvania’s leading sire, Uptowncharleybrown. “I think my horse Cool Million will put in a big effort in this race. He’s training great, and I think this distance will suit him,” said trainer Eddie Coletti, Jr. “ He ran good in his last race, and I think this horse and my horse in the second race, Lion in the Sun, will run good too,” said Coletti.
Favorites for the Imply Stakes include Double Airo at 9/5, stakes placed with three wins from eleven starts, Carousel Queen at 9/2 with one win this year, and Honorable Win at 3/1, trained by Kate DeMasi, and a stakes winner at two.
The Storm Cat Stakes at one mile and seventy yards drew eight older horses. At 9/2, Kohler’s, trained by John Servis, won his last two races and was second in this year’s Page McKinney Handicap at Parx Racing. At seven years old, multiple stakes winner Far Mo Power won the Parx Dirt Mile in 2022 and was second in the Storm Cat Stakes in 2022. He won an allowance race in July at Parx this year and is 7/2 on the morning line. Wild Vine, at 2/1, won three races this year out of seven starts.
Kim Pratt Photo
Post time for the fifteen race card on Pennsylvania Derby Day, Saturday, September 20th, is 11:05 A.M. Giveaways include free hats while supplies last. Stakes on the day are the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby, Grade 1 Cotillion, Grade 3 Gallant Bob, Grade 3 Greenwood Cup, Parx Dirt Mile, Liberty Bell Stakes, and Parx Sprint.
The impressive field of ten for the Pennsylvania Derby includes favorite Baeza, a half brother to Mage and Dornoch and trained by John Shirreffs. California based, Baeza was third in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. The second favorite at 5/2, Goal Oriented, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., was third recently in the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park. Gosger, third choice though he beat Goal Oriented twice, in the Haskell and the Preakness, is lightly raced and has two wins in four starts. All set their sights on the Grade1 Pennsylvania Derby
The Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes for three year old fillies includes three top fillies in the country, Good Cheer, La Cara, and Scottish Lassie. Scottish Lassie, 9/5 on the morning line, won the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. Joel Rosario is up. La Cara won the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes by three lengths and the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes, and Good Cheer, second choice, trained by Brad Cox, won seven of nine races and won the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Several local horses are entered, and Parx based trainer, Uriah St. Lewis entered Not Too Late. A long shot at 30/1, she won the Maryfield Stake at Monmouth Park this summer. “She has a shot,” said St. Lewis. “She’s training very good here. The three horses I have running Saturday all have an equal chance to win. Everything is very good at the barn now, and they are training great, so we’ll see,” St. Lewis said. Uriah has Deposition in the Parx Dirt Mile and Friday Surprise in the Gallant Bob Stakes. St. Lewis hopes for a surprise win on Saturday.
Enjoy exciting top class racing, free family fun including pony rides, face painting, live music, food and drink specials, and special combo bets at Parx Racing’s biggest week-end.
Cover Photo Credit to Kim Pratt
