Parx Racing winds up 2024 with two days of exciting stakes races. Post time is 12:05 each day, and the card on December 30th includes four stakes for two year olds. Will there be another surprise maiden winner like Crab Daddy was in the Nursery Stakes, or possibly another over looked long shot winner? Monday’s races include two stakes in the PA-Sired, PA-Bred Stallion Series along with two Future Stars Stakes.
The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association sponsors a series of six stakes races for PA-Sired, PA-Bred horses each with a $100,000 purse. The first two stakes races for two year olds ran on September 21st at Parx. They were The Whistle Pig Stakes, won by The Boy’s Warrior, and The Miss Blue Tye Dye Stakes, won by Honorable Win. The second set for two year olds runs December 30th at Parx and are The Wait For It Stakes and The Miss Behaviour Stakes. The final set for three year olds is scheduled at Parx on PA Day at the Races and are The Prince Lucky Stakes, and The Imply Stakes. Bonus awards totaling $50,000 will be awarded to breeders of horses earning the most points throughout the series.
Entries for The Wait For It Stakes at seven furlongs run the gamut from first time starters, to maidens, to stakes placed horses. An early favorite, Ballad of Warrior has one win and is stakes placed, and Fenton Forever has one start and one win. Trainer Eddie Coletti Jr. entered Cool Million although he never started. “He’s doing great, and I think he has a shot,” said Coletti. The eight horse field may have to deal with an off-track as rain is forecast for Sunday and Monday.
The Miss Behaviour Stakes for fillies at seven furlongs also includes maidens and stakes winners. The early favorite, Honorable Win won The Miss Blue Tye Dye Stakes in her first start in September and was second in the Finest City Stakes at Presque Isle Downs in her second start. Little Cocoa Bean won her first and only race, and Joyful Joyce had one start and finished third. “She has a shot too,” said Coletti about his horse Joyful Joyce. “The horses are doing great, but you never know what’s going to happen with these two year olds.”
The Parx Future Stars Stake also at seven furlongs and a purse of $75,000 includes Crab Daddy, winner of the PA Nursery Stakes at Parx. Another entry, Alchemism won by twelve lengths last time out on December 17th, and Gun Trader won his first start, but ran sixth last out facing tough competition in the Grade 2 Remson Stakes at Aqueduct. “My horses are all doing good. They are very healthy. We might have rain on Sunday and Monday, but my horses can handle an off track,” said Uriah St. Lewis, trainer of Gun Trader. “I’m not running Deposition in the Kris Kringle on December 31st. He ran recently, and I don’t want to run him again too soon. I’ll just wait until next year,” he said.
The field for The Parx Future Stars Filly Division Stakes includes eight talented fillies. “My filly Not Too Late is going to run in Maryland on Saturday instead of at Parx,” explained St. Lewis. “Tip Line will run in the Future Stars race at Parx, and she’s doing great. She won first time out here,” said St. Lewis. Other fillies entered include Belle Bottoms, a filly that never ran at Parx, Hollywood Beauty, third in the Sorority Stakes at Monmouth Park, and Beyond Belief, won first out and was third in a stake at Laurel. “Beyond Belief is a really nice horse,” said trainer Eddie Coletti. “She is doing great, and she has a good shot here. Hopefully she’ll run good. It’s going to warm up, and we might get some rain, but the track should be good.”
On New Year’s Eve, post time 12:05, Parx ends the year with The Kris Kringle Stakes, The Blitzen Stakes, and The Mrs. Claus Stakes. Purses are $75,000, and races are for horses age three and up. According to Uriah St. Lewis, Deposition is scratched from the Kris Kringle leaving an eight horse field, and John Servis says Irish Cork, entered in the Kris Kringle is doing well after losing his rider in his last race. The Kris Krinkle includes stakes winners Concealed Carry, six year old Repo Rocks, winner of over $980,000, and Lonesome Boy, winner of his last out. Tough competition in The Blitzen Stakes and The Mrs. Claus Stakes ensures an exciting close to the stakes program for 2024 at Parx Racing.
