Trainer Robert “Butch” Reid Jr. sent out two of the seven stakes winners on Pennsylvania’s Day at the Races on Monday at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa. The entire 13-race card was for Pennsylvania-bred runners and included seven $100,000 stakes for various divisions – although wet conditions led to two of the turf stakes being moved to the main track. A total of $1 million in purses was offered on the day.
Both of Reid’s stakes winners were for LC Racing and were sired by Pennsylvania-based Weigelia, a grandson of famed Pennsylvania-bred stallion Danzig and a multiple stakes winner who earned just over $1 million on the track.
The first win for Reid came with Smooth B in the Marshall Jenney Handicap, originally scheduled on turf but run at five furlongs on dirt. Frankie Pennington guided the 7-year-old to a 3 1/4-length victory as the 11-10 second choice, defeating 9-10 favorite Admiral Abe. It was Smooth B’s ninth win in 45 career starts. He was bred by St. Omer’s Farm and WynOaks Farm.
Pennington was also aboard Reid’s other PA Day winner, the LC Racing homebred Ninetyprcentmaddie, in the Whistle Pig Stakes for 2-year-olds going 5 1/2 furlongs. Favored at 13-10, Ninetyprcentmaddie led throughout, drawing off by 3 1/2 lengths and covering the distance on a fast main track in 1:05.61.
The other stakes were:
-Mrs. Penny Stakes, moved from turf to dirt because of the rain, was won by 1-2 favorite Love in the Air, owned by Main Line Racing Stable, ridden by Paco Lopez, and trained by John Servis. The 4-year-old filly by Constitution won wire to wire by six lengths, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:47.29. Love in the Air was coming off a third-place finish to Princess Grace in the Grade 3 Dr. James Penny Memorial at Parx.
-Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial Stakes went to Sanford J. Goldfarb’s Remain Anonymous, a 5-year-old Tapiture mare who had just been claimed for $32,000 in her last start from Brad Cox by trainer Robert Falcone Jr. Remain Anonymous came from off the pace under Irad Ortiz Jr. to defeat 7-10 favorite Chub Wagon by 5 3/4 lengths, covering six furlongs on dirt in 1:10.93.
-Miss Blue Tye Dye Stakes for 2-year-old fillies was won by the Joseph Imbesi homebred Flor de Sombra. Favored at 1-5, the daughter of Social Inclusion led throughout under Silvestre Gonzalez for trainer Guadalupe Preciado. Flor de Sombra won her debut at Parx by 7 3/4 lengths on July 26. The Miss Blue Tye Dye and Whistle Pig Stakes were the first $100,000 2-year-old stallion series races.
-Banjo Picker Sprint Stakes for the second year in a row went to Smart Angle LLP’s Fortheluvofbourbon, with Paco Lopez handling the 3-2 second choice for trainer Michael Pino. A 5-year-old gelding by Bourbon Courage, Fortheluvofbourbon rallied from just off the pace to win by four lengths over 6-5 favorite Beren, denying Reid and Pennington their third PA Day win. Final time for six furlongs was 1:10.53. This was Fortheluvofbourbon’s 10th win in 21 starts.
-Storm Cat Stakes for 3-year-olds and up going one mile and 70 yards was won by the Todd Pletcher-trained Too Boss, a 4-year-old El Padrino colt bred and owned by Michael Cascio. Kendrick Carmouche was aboard the 6-5 favorite, coming from off the pace to win by 1 3/4 lengths.
Parx resumes racing at 12:55 p.m. ET on Tuesday with another 13-race card featuring a trio of stakes: the $200,000 Parx Dash; the $150,000 Cathryn Sophia Stakes; and the Grade 3, $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes.
