A field of 11 will vie for victory in the Grade 1, $1 million-dollar Pennsylvania Derby Saturday at Parx Racing. The 1 1/8-mile signature race at Parx stands as the final Grade 1 Stakes race of 2026 restricted to 3-year-olds at two turns.
Here is a brief look at that field:
1. ZIHNAL [ML 8-1] Trainer: Jonathan Thomas. Jockey: John Velazquez. Broke his Maiden in his third start, which was at Horseshoe Indianapolis in June. In July he ran 4th in the Indiana Derby (G3) and last month he pressed the pace to win the West Virginia Derby by more than six lengths in what was by far the best race of his career. He will ship up from his training base at Turfway Park.
2. IRON HONOR [ML 5-1] Trainer: Chad Brown. Jockey: José Ortiz. Won the first two races of his career at Aqueduct moving from a Maiden to the Gotham (G3) on the Kentucky Derby trail. After a 7th in the Wood Memorial (G2), he rallied to be 2nd-best in the Preakness. Last out he was 3rd in the Haskell (G1). Blinkers go back on and Ortiz gets aboard for the first time.
3. OUR MONEYMAN [ML 8-1] Trainer: Bret Calhoun. Jockey: Manny Franco. Began his career in Kentucky and was a Maiden winner in his second try on a sloppy track at Keeneland in October. The Louisiana-bred then ran in four state-bred stakes at Fair Grounds getting two wins and two 2nds. He moved back to open company and maintained his record of top three finishes in an Allowance and then the Matt Winn (G3) at Churchill Downs. Last seen, he missed winning the Indiana Derby after racing in tight quarters down the stretch and the rider dropped his crop. Franco, (the leading rider at Saratoga), gets the mount for the first time.
4. IGNITER [ML8-1] Trainer: Richard Dutrow Jr. Jockey: Luis Saez. Made his first five starts in New York with a Maiden win at Aqueduct in September followed by the Jimmy Winkfield. He went on the road for his next three races running 3rd in the Chick Lang on the Preakness undercard, 3rd again in the Maxfield (G3) at Churchill and in August he won the Ellis Park Derby.
5. TALK TO ME JIMMY [ML 12-1] Trainer: Rudy Rodriguez. Jockey: Ruben Silvera. Ran his first two and his last two races against New York-breds. He was a Maiden winner in November at Aqueduct and won the New York Derby at Finger Lakes in July. In between he won the Withers on the Derby trail by 11 lengths with a front-end effort and was 2nd in the Peter Pan (G3). Silvera gets the mount after Franco opted to ride OUR MONEYMAN.
6. THE PUMA [ML 4-1] Trainer: Gustavo Delgado. Jockey: Javier Castellano. Got his Maiden victory in his third start, which was in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on the Kentucky Derby trail, and then was 2nd in the Florida Derby (G1). After a three-month layoff, he came back to run 4th in the Haskell and again in the Travers (G1). He lugged in down the stretch at Saratoga and comes back here with blinkers on.
7. FURTHER ADO [ML 2-1] Trainer: Brad Cox Jockey: Flavien Prat. Is the only million-dollar earner and the Grade 1 winner in the field. All four of his trips to the Winner’s Circle were in Kentucky. He broke his Maiden at Keeneland in October and then won the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) as he moved onto the Derby trail. He then romped in the Blue Grass (G1) with an 11-length front-end score. He had a rough trip in the Kentucky Derby prior to finishing 11th. He came back with a victory in the Matt Winn before a disappointing 5th in the Haskell. Prat gets the mount for the first time.
8. FREEDOM’S ECHO [ML 20-1] Trainer: Guadalupe Preciado. Jockey: TBA. Broke his Maiden at Parx in November by 11 lengths in a $40,000 Maiden claimer. He tried the Derby trail in the Jerome and was a distant last-place finisher. After a five-month layoff and a lackluster return, he won a $75,000 optional claimer. He was a distant 3rd in the Smarty Jones.
9. SASSMASTER [ML 10-1] Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione. Has made one start as a 2-year-old and was 4th at Saratoga. He returned in June at Churchill to break his Maiden and then won a nine-furlong Allowance at Saratoga last month. Pletcher had a Penn Derby winner with HARLAN’S HOLIDAY in 2002.
10. MICANOPY [ML 15-1] Trainer: Michael Simone. Jockey: Paco Lopez. Began his career racing against state-breds at Gulfstream Park where he won a Maiden in his second try but then was uncompetitive three times facing winners. In April, he got claimed after a victory in an $8,000 Claimer at Tampa. He spent the summer at Delaware Park and had a striking form reversal winning a starter Allowance, getting 2nd in a $75,000 optional Claimer and a 4th in an Allowance. He then won the Smarty Jones by more than a length.
11. PONDER AND DREAM [ML 20-1] Trainer: Robert Reid Jr. Jockey: Mychel Sanchez. Hit the board in three Maiden races for Pennsylvania-breds but then broke his Maiden against open company in December. This year he won twice in a state-bred Allowance and a Stakes race at Parx. He was the pace setter in the Smarty Jones before finishing 2nd.
The Pennsylvania Derby is slated as race 14 on a massive card of 15 with a scheduled Post Time of 5:50.
Best of luck however you play it.
