The Pennsylvania Derby is the last 3-year-old, G1, dirt Stakes of the year prior the Breeders’s Cup.
Saturday’s 1 1/8 mile, million dollar contest at Parx Racing has attracted eleven entrants, including Preakness Stakes Winner SEIZE THE GREY.
Here is a brief look at the field:
1. DOC SULLIVAN [ML 12-1] Jockey: Jose Ortiz. Trainer: Mike Miceli. Has been formidable in Stakes for New York-breds, but has yet to run in an open Stakes. Can he handle the jump in class?
2. SEIZE THE GREY [ML 5-1] Jockey: Jaime Torres. Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas. After Winning the Preakness, he was 7th in the Belmont Stakes and 4th in the Jim Dandy– both at Saratoga. Lukas thinks he may not have liked the main track at Saratoga– if so perhaps a nice bounce-back effort. If not …buyer beware.
3. LONESOME BOY [ML 20-1] Jockey: Adam Bowman. Trainer: Hugo Padilla. Prepped for this in a sprint Stakes. Has yet to show that he can Win in Graded Stakes company.
4. TIMEOUT [ML 10-1] Jockey: Joel Rosario. Trainer: Bill Mott. Has stepped up his game since he stretched out to 1 1/8 miles three starts back. Was 3rd in the Curlin Stakes in his only Stakes effort but his speed figures make him an intriguing possibility.
5. PROTECTIVE [ML 8-1] Jockey: Irad Ortiz. Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Broke his Maiden his 7th time out but has already run in three Graded Stakes with a pair of 3rd places in those. Was the Maiden Win a wake up call?
6. JUST STEP ON IT [ML 15-1] Jockey: Jose Lezcano. Trainer: Louis Linder Jr. Was 2nd in the Smarty Jones Stakes, and was 4th in the Grade 1 Haskell. Worth a look if the odds are long enough.
7. DRAGOON GUARD [ML 9-5] Jockey: Florent Geroux. Trainer: Brad Cox. Lost his debut and then reeled off four straight Wins, including the West Virginia Derby as well as the Indiana Derby. Could become locked in a speed duel with SEIZE THE GREY, but he seems sharp enough to handle that challenge.
8. UNMATCHED WISDOM [ML 8-1] Jockey: Flavien Prat. Trainer: Chad Brown. Didn’t show his usual early speed in the Travers where he finished 7th. Won the Curlin Stakes on the front end and his workouts seem to indicate he’s capable of a big bounce effort here.
9. WHO’S THE KING [ML 20-1] Jockey: Mike Smith. Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr. Lost by 25 lengths in a Saratoga Starter-Allowance race last time out. Even with Big Money Mike on board it’s hard to imagine a big effort from him.
10. UNCLE HEAVY [ML 12-1] Jockey: Mychel Sanchez. Trainer: Butch Reid. Won the Grade 3 Withers in the winter and later ran in the Preakness and finished 6th on a muddy track. Was 3rd in the Smarty Jones, but didn’t get much pace to help his late kick.
11. STRONGHOLD [ML 5-2] Jockey: Antonio Fresu. Trainer: Phil D’Amato. Won the Santa Anita Derby and then was 7th in the Kentucky Derby. In his only start since the KD, he was 2nd to DRAGOON GUARD in the Indiana Derby. Past Performances’ make him look dangerous in this spot, but this is a tough post for his stalking running style.
