A field of eight line up in Saturday's $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (photo credit: Parx Racing)
The top three-year-old colt and filly will be in action on Saturday at Parx Racing, with California Chrome and Untapable making their final preps for the Breeders’ Cup.
Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome was installed as the even money morning line favorite for the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby. The colt makes his first start since checking in fourth in the Belmont Stakes, ending his bid to become the 12th Triple Crown winner.
The colt got a break after the Belmont and has been working sharply at Los Alamitos for his return for trainer Art Sherman. Victor Espinoza will be in to ride the colt, who has won five of his six starts this year.
Eight will go to the post in the 1 1/8 mile race including the Bob Baffert trained Bayern (7-2), who faded to finish 10th in the Travers Stakes in his last start. Two back the colt was a good-looking winner of the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.
Tapiture (5-1) was beaten 17 ½ lengths in the Kentucky Derby, but has come back with back to back wins, taking the Matt Winn at Churchill Downs and the West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park in his last outing. The colt beat Candy Boy (12-1) by a nose.
A field of nine will go in the $1 million Cotillion with Untapable the 7-5 morning line favorite. The Steve Asmussen trainee took on the boys last out in the Haskell but was not much of a threat in a fifth place finish. The filly won her first four starts this year including the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose.
She faces several tough foes including Sweet Reason (3-1) who won the Acorn and Test in her last two starts. Jojo Warrior (6-1) comes in from the west coast for Baffert and won the Torrey Pines on polytrack at Del Mar.
The Cotillion and Pennsylvania Derby will be televised live by the Comcast Network with a tape-delayed broadcast shown on ComcastSportsNet after the conclusion of the Phillies game. The card on Saturday will have 13 races with a special early post time of 11:25am.
Turf ‘n’ Sport handicapper Michael Dempsey will provide his selections and analysis for the stakes from Parx in Saturday’s Best Plays Report.
Horseplayers are reminded that Parx has a ridiculous 30% takeout on trifectas. The win, place, and show bets are 17% and exactas are at a 20% takeout, which is in line with most other tracks.
$1 million G2 Pennsylvania Derby
1 – California Chrome Art Sherman Victor Espinoza 1-1
2 – Candy Boy John Sadler Joel Rosario 12-1
3 – Protonico Todd Pletcher Javier Castellano 6-1
4 – Bayern Bob Baffert Martin Garcia 7-2
5 – Noble Moon Leah Gyarmati Irad Ortiz, Jr. 15-1
6 – Classic Giacnroll Lisa Guerrero Kendrick Carmouche 15-1
7 – Tapiture Steve Asmussen Rosie Napravnik 5-1
8 – C J’s Awesome Kenneth McPeek Edgar Prado 12-1
$1 million G1 Cotillion Stakes
1 – Cassatt Larry Jones Kerwin Clark 12-1
2 – Sweet Reason Leah Gyarmati Irad Ortiz, Jr. 3-1
3 – House Rules James Jerkens Javier Castellano 20-1
4 – Joint Return John Servis Kendrick Carmouche 10-1
5 – Vero Amore Butch Reid Frankie Pennington 20-1
6 – Little Alexis Carlo Vaccarezza Joel Rosario 20-1
7 – Jo Jo Warrior Bob Baffert Martin Garcia 6-1
8 – Untapable Steve Asmussen Rosie Napravnik 7-5
9 – Stopchargingmaria Todd Pletcher John Velazquez 9-2
$300,000 G3 Gallant Bob Stakes
1 – Favorite Tale Lupe Preciado John Bisono 5-2
2 – Camden Street Mike Aro Roberto Alvarado 12-1
3 – Bump Start Kellyn Gorder Rosie Napravnik 20-1
4 – Prudhoe Bay Ed Plesa Paco Lopez 6-1
5 – Pure Sensation Christophe Clement Joel Rosario 4-1
6 – Fast Anna Kathy Ritvo Irad Ortiz, Jr. 8-5
7 – Good Bye Greg Larry Rivelli Florent Giroux 5-1
Belmont Park Fall Championship Meet Special
Michael Dempsey’s full card reports for the entire fall championship meeting at Belmont Park from Sept. 5 until Oct 26. The package includes “Super Saturday” on Sept. 27 which will feature six graded stakes, including five Grade 1 races, headed by the 96th edition of the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 ¼ miles. New York Showcase Day will take place on Saturday, Oct. 18, and will be comprised of eight stakes races restricted to New York-breds, with purses totaling $1.75 million.
