We reach the “mane” events of this monster 14 race card at Parx. This will cover the four biggest races of the Parx season and closes out with the Parx Sprint for older horses. Also, there is a mandatory distribution of the Philly Big 5, and with it being Pennsylvania Derby Day, we could have a massive pool today.
Race 10 – Turf Monster (Grade 3)
We begin the biggest of the races with the Turf Monster, a five furlong sprint, obviously on the turf course. We have a field of 14 entered, but only 10 will run.
The 11 Foxtrotranna (12/1 morning line), the 12 Catty’s Uncle (30/1 ML) and the 13 Talkin Pharoah (20/1 ML) all need scratches from the main field to run. The 14 Real Talk is a main track only entrant who needs this race to end up on the main track.
Favored in the Turf Monster is the 3 Souper Quest (5/2 ML). This four-year-old colt was bumped at the start but was still forwardly placed in the Harvey Pack at Saratoga. He will have a lot of company on the front end.
The 4 Jean Valjean (9/2 ML) will gun for the lead like he did in the stakes win at Penn National. So will the 7 Fore Harp (10/1 ML) who flattened out in an off the turf event last month at Parx.
The 8 Senbei (7/2 ML) closed well at Monmouth Park last month and just missed against Smithwick’s Spice who won impressively at Monmouth this past Sunday. I’m expecting the same trip today. The 2 Traders Luck (20/1) has shown superior speed on dirt, but will je be able to do so today?
Alogon (#6, 5/1 ML) has faces some of the toughest turf sprinters and closed well in the Parx Dash last month. He will be closing as well here.
I will take Senbei to close here to win the Turf Monster with Alogon also passing the speed horses in deep stretch. Let’s call this 8-6-3-4 with a $20 win wager on the 8.
Race 11 – Gallant Bob (Grade 2)
Next race on the docket is the Gallant Bob as three-year-olds will sprint six furlongs on the main track. We have eight entered into this Grade 2 race.
Favored on the rail is the 1 Bentornato (9/5 ML) who could not hold off the winner at Charles Town last month. This colt shortens up a furlong today as well as only has to negotiate one turn in today’s Gallant Bob.
He could have competition on the front end with the 7 One Sharp Cookie (6/1 ML) who races for the first time outside of Florida and Gulfstream Park. He has consistently been on the lead or forwardly placed in all his races in his nine-race career.
Also on the front end could be the 3 Buccherino (4/1 ML) who drew off in the prep for this race last month at Parx. He will be facing tougher here today.
Having broke slowly last out in the same race as the 3, the 6 Practically Dark (8/1 ML) had an opportunity to bound back from that race. He got a race over the Bensalem oval to prepare for today after racing mostly at Gulfstream Park.
Maximus Meridus (#5, 5/1 ML) has faced some monsters over the spring and summer but he could not keep up to Buccherino last time out. He could surprise with the home field advantage.
This has the potential to have a meltdown pace here up front. I’ll take my chances with Practically Dark in an upset. I’ll call this 6-5-1-3 with a $20 win wager on the 6 in the Gallant Bob.
Race 12 – Cotillion Stakes (Grade 1)
I got a chuckle out of the Daily Racing Form on Monday evening when David Grening posted his article about Saturday’s Grade 1 Cotillion. The article was titled “Seven brave souls sign up to take on Thorpedo Anna in Cotillion” which is very true. Or at least we think, because like I have said numerous times in articles, to friends as well as on Also Eligible, these races are not run on paper.
The heavily favored filly Thorpedo Anna (4/5 ML) will make an appearance at Parx tomorrow. She was just as fierce at Fierceness in the stretch in the Travers at Saratoga last month. But knowing the mentality of the top three-year-old filly, instead of resting her up for the Breeders’ Cup, she will run in the co-signature race of the season at the Bensalem oval.
Even if she were to bounce off of the 111 Beyer Speed Figure on the Daily Racing Form, she can still easily defeat these fillies today.
The 3 Tarifa (5/1 ML) prepped at Ellis Park and showed she needed that race. The 1 Power Squeeze (4/1 ML) shortens a furlong and a half after closing to win the Alabama at Saratoga. Dangerous on the outside is the 8 Mystic Lake who won the two-turn seven furlong Charles Town Oaks in dominating fashion. Even more dangerous is the fact that Mike Smith comes in to ride tomorrow.
Keep an eye on the show pools tomorrow at Parx. This is one of two races where the bridge jumpers (will explain this on Also Eligible tomorrow) could be out in force with extremely heavy favorites showing up in Bensalem for today’s races. If you have that gut feeling that something funny might happen, jump against Thorpedo Anna.
I do not have a wager for this article, but let’s call this 6- 8-1-3 here in the Cotillion.
Race 13 – Pennsylvania Derby (Grade 1)
Then we reach the “mane” event of the 2024 Parx Racing Season. It’s the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby going a mile and an eighth on the main track. We have 11 horses entered for this race which should be a final prep for some of these horses before the Breeders’ Cup.
Granted, this race did not attract all the top Triple Crown horses this year like the track’s intention when they moved this race to mid-September from its former Labor Day spot. But we have seen Kentucky Derby winners like California Chrome and Breeders’ Cup Classic winners like Bayern run in Bensalem in past years.
We do have the Preakness winner Seize the Grey (#2, 5/1 ML) in the field tomorrow. He ran gate to wire on a speed favoring Pimlico main track that day but may have met his kryptonite in Saratoga with two poor performances there. At least that’s what legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas thinks, which led him to commit to this race shortly after the Jim Dandy where his horse finished a well beaten fourth.
Favored in the PA Derby is the 7 Dragoon Guard (9/5 ML) who will play “catch me if you can” with this field. He will go for the lead here and try to win this race after Grade 3 wins in the Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis and the West Virgina Derby last month at Mountaineer Park.
Dragoon Guard could have company on the front end with Unmatched Wisdom (#8, 8/1 ML) starting right next to him. He got bumped around at the start of the Travers after winning the restricted Curlin Stakes at Saratoga in July.
On the outside is the 11 Stronghold (5/2 ML) who should be stalking these two aforementioned runners if a speed duel develops. He trained up to this race after that Indiana Derby at Del Mar and Santa Anita for today.
There are two dangerous closers at potentially huge prices if there is a meltdown pace tomorrow. The 4 Timeout (10/1 ML) has closed well in his last three races, which were all at this distance. The 5 Protective (8/1 ML) has held his own with the top three-year-olds in the Wood Memorial and Peter Pan at Aqueduct as a maiden. He did win in an off-the-turf race to finally break his maiden, which may not tell much, but he is always there in the end.
I think we get that meltdown pace today and I will take Timeout in an upset in the PA Derby. I’ll call this 4-5-11-7 and my play is $20 to win on the 4.
Race 14 – Parx Sprint
After a long day, we finally reached the 14th and final race on the card. I’m sure that unless I’m still alive in the Philly Big 5, I have walked over to the casino to watch the last race and maybe dabble in the sportsbook.
But wherever I am on the Parx property, the natural light will be fading for this final race. We have older horses going six and a half furlongs on the main track.
Favored in the finale is the 6 Super Chow at a lukewarm 7/2 morning line odds. Don’t worry about that note about being cross entered at Laurel Park. He was scratched. He’s back from an almost three-month break after weakening at Delaware Park in early July.
The 3 Twisted Ride (5/1 ML) comes into this race after tiring in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga last month. He gets some major class relief here with an opportunity to bounce back with a stalking trip.
Also stalking will be the gelding on the outside the 11 Top Gunner (4/1 ML). He was claimed for $62,500 at Saratoga in an optional claimer where he finished third. The second-place finisher won next time out if you believe in those transitive properties that I bring up from time to time. New trainer Brad Cox has won 36% of the time with horses running under his care for the first time.
Ninetyprcentmaddie (#10, 6/1 ML) threw in a major klunker last time out in the Jump Start here at Parx. He finished on the board in three straight graded stakes races at Aqueduct and Saratoga and should like not having to be shipped out to race.
Finally, the 2 Gordian Knot (6/1 ML) is a dangerous entry here with a jockey/trainer combination wins 32% of the time at Parx. He could be close to the pace like last time out, or be further back as in the previous race at Laurel Park.
I’m trying to beat the morning line favorite here. I love that I have a top jock in Flavien Prat sitting there at the hip of dueling leaders looking to pounce on the turn or in the stretch. I’ll take Top Gunner to win the finale here as Brad Cox has all kinds of crazy numbers to go with a horse that can get the job done.
Let’s call this race 11-2-3-10 and my play is $20 to win on the 11.
Joe’s Philly Big 5 Wager
- Race 10: 5,8
- Race 11: 1,5,7
- Race 12: 6
- Race 13: 4,5,11
- Race 14: 2,3,10,11
At a 50-cent increment, this ticket will cost $36 to play. With the money that I think will flood the pools today, it might be worth an investment. Whatever you play today, best of luck in all your wagers and let’s get some winners home today!
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