Prime racing motion shifted to Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa. Saturday for a pair of Grade 1, $1 million races, the Pennsylvania Derby and the Cotillion Stakes. Tom Pedulla provides takeaways from these main races for 3-year-olds along with the Princess Rooney Invitational Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The Grade 3 Princess Rooney is a part of the Breeders’ Cup Problem Sequence and provided an computerized, fees-paid berth within the $1 million PNC Financial institution Filly & Mare Dash Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
ENCORE!: Seize the Gray offered what gave the impression to be the joys of a lifetime when he received the Preakness Stakes on behalf of two,570 people who had invested in him by way of MyRacehorse when he earned a front-running victory within the second jewel of the 2024 Triple Crown. He was not carried out. He and jockey Jaime Torres once more rolled on the entrance finish and pulled away by 3 ¾ lengths within the Pennsylvania Derby for legendary 89-year-old coach D. Wayne Lukas. So many stakeholders attended the Pennsylvania Derby that the trophy presentation needed to be moved from the winner’s circle to the principle observe. Nobody was extra elated than Michael Behrens, founding father of MyRacehorse. “After the Preakness, it felt like a tremendous second and I used to be appreciative of it,” he mentioned. “I do know lightning doesn’t strike greater than as soon as, however [Saturday] it did.”
BIG ONE AHEAD: At the same time as coach Ken McPeek ready Thorpedo Anna for the Cotillion Stakes, he saved an unwavering eye on the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff Nov. 2 at Del Mar. For that cause, he used a lightweight contact forward of the Cotillion because of the a lot stiffer take a look at forward and his stellar sophomore did effectively to eke out a neck victory at Parx regardless of a tough journey. “We didn’t prepare her all that onerous for this race. I felt like, ‘Let’s not squeeze the lemon actually exhausting for this,’” McPeek defined. “I felt like we might win it regardless and we did. She’s simply an distinctive particular person. A win is a win. I’ll take it. I’m not complaining.”
WORTH THE WAIT: When Preakness winner Seize the Gray fell off kind by working seventh within the Belmont Stakes and fourth within the Jim Dandy Stakes offered by Mohegan Solar, the tough resolution was made to skip the distinguished DraftKings Travers Stakes although that race sometimes impacts the Eclipse Award for main 3-year-old male. The unusual transfer virtually certainly contributed to a successful effort within the Pennsylvania Derby. Torres mentioned he might inform early that he had loads of horse beneath him. “He gave me the identical feeling because the Preakness, the way in which he was shifting and his ears,” the jockey mentioned. “He was comfy in there and I knew I used to be going to have plenty of horse on the finish.”
NOT HIS STYLE: Favored Dragoon Guard had his four-race successful streak abruptly ended when he completed a well-beaten third within the Pennsylvania Derby. He had set the tempo in his final three victories, together with Grade 3 successes within the West Virginia Derby and Indiana Derby. This time, he began poorly and by no means fairly recovered. He lagged in sixth by way of the opening half-mile of the 1 1/8-mile contest. “Huge races like this, at a mile and an eighth and past, I’ve all the time been an enormous believer that you’ll want to be very shut or on the lead,” coach Brad Cox mentioned. “Didn’t count on to be fifth or sixth early, I promise you that.”
BREEDERS’ CUP RETURN: C2 Racing Steady, operated by brothers Mark and Clint Cornett, asserted itself on the Breeders’ Cup World Championships final 12 months when White Abarrio captured the most important race of the in successful the 2023 Longines Basic. They may make a return journey to the Breeders’ Cup after Soul of an Angel recovered from a gradual begin and staged a dramatic last-to-first rally for a 3 ¼-length victory within the Princess Rooney Saturday for coach Saffie Joseph Jr. and jockey Drayden Van Dyke. C2 Racing owns the 5-year-old Atreides mare in partnership with Agave Racing Steady. “She’s not Breeders’ Cup nominated, however we’re going to pay that price to do this,” Mark Cornett mentioned. “Her entry price is paid for with this, so we’re going to go there for positive.”
