PA-Breds Shine on 23rd Annual Pennsylvania’s Day at the Races

The 23rd annual Pennsylvania’s Day at the Races took place at Parx Racing on Monday, August 26. Hundreds of breeders attended the luncheon and enjoyed a variety of raffles, including a John Deere Zero-Turn Mower donated by NTRA, and a card featuring some of the best Pennsylvania-breds in training. FanDuel was on site for the 11-race card, and race-calling icon Larry Collmus provided picks and interviews throughout the day.

Maiden special weights featured purses of $65,000, while allowances touted $70,000 and stakes events stood at $100,000, for a total of $870,000 in purses.

Two-year-old fillies kicked off the card in a 5½-furlong event. A field of 10 entered the gate, and the wagering landed on first-time starter Anabam as the 3-2 favorite. Shipping in from Penn National for trainer Todd Beattie, Anabam skipped to the front and never looked back, drawing away to a 6¾-length victory.

The daughter of Weigelia was bred by Dr. Stephen Morrone, Dan Kimball and John Spendolini out of the Disco Rico mare Moonstone Beach. Owned by Morrone and Kimball, she’s a half-sister to stakes-placed $246,546-earner Dr. Steve (by Jump Start). Hopeforgreatness and Vivi Rose completed the tri.

Eight maidens, 3 and up, lined up for the second race, restricted to PA-Sired, PA-Bred runners. Traveling 6 furlongs, 14-1 longshot Uncle Winchester took over approaching the quarter pole and opened up a 3-length lead that would hold safe to the wire. It was the third start, following two runner-up finishes at Delaware Park, for the 3-year-old son of Uncle Lino. The Michael Catalano Jr. trainee was bred by Clyde W. Martin Jr. and purchased for $4,500 by John Julia at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale. He’s a half-brother to stakes winners You Need Me and Mollys Missb’havin and was the first winner for owner Katie DeCanzio. Addyson’s Dream was second while Prince of Chill checked in third.

The third race was a 1 mile and 70-yard allowance race. Even-money favorite In Spades dueled through the early lead before opening up at the top of the stretch and holding sway for a 4¼-length win over Warrior’s Vendetta and Check My Six. The 4-year-old son of Peace and Justice was bred by Steve Young’s A1A Racing and is owned and trained by Felissa Dunn. It was his fifth victory from 19 starts.

Ten maiden fillies and mares, 3 and up, competed at 7 furlongs in the fourth race. Eleventh time was the charm for 10-1 shot Mikey’s Song. Sitting eighth in the early going, the daughter of Exaggerator moved up along the inside around the turn to get within 2½ lengths of even-money favorite Beautifulcrazygirl. Continuing to rally strongly up the rail, she snagged her foe in the final strides to post a neck upset victory. Trained by Melecio Guerrero and owned by Price of Entry LLC, the 3-year-old was bred by Victoria M. Herlinger and purchased for $24,000 as a yearling at Timonium. 

The fifth race saw eight colts and geldings, 3 and up, cover 6½ furlongs. Kohler’s, the 7-10 favorite, broke last from the gate but quickly rushed up inside of horses to sit just behind the early pacesetters. He took command once the field turned into the stretch and, while wandering about, ultimately held off longshot Humble Joe for a three-quarter-length victory. The 3-year-old colt by Bandbox is a homebred for SMD Ltd./Avalon Racing Stables and a stakes-placed half-brother to their stakes-placed runners Miss Avalon and Seventeenohsix. 

Two-year-old colts and geldings traveled 5½ furlongs in the final maiden race on the card. Half of the eight to face the starter were making their debuts, and the money was smart in installing one of those, Dansk, the slight post time favorite at 5-2. Tracking just off the early pace, the son of Uptowncharlybrown took command turning for home and pulled clear to an easy 4¼-length win over another first-time starter, Smile Maker, with Dr. Lou third. Sent out by trainer Mike Pino, the colt is a homebred for Smart Angle LLP. 

Stakes action kicked off in the seventh race with the $100,000 Marshall Jenney Handicap at 5 furlongs. Moved from the turf to the main track, the field featured five entrants. With three horses vying for favoritism, lost in the shuffle was 9-year-old Smooth B, winner of the Marshall Jenney the last time the race came off the grass in 2022. Joined in a three-way duel for the early lead, Smooth B slipped past Traders Luck along the rail and drew off to win by 3½ lengths at odds of 7-1. 

The son of Weigelia is out of St. Omer’s Farm’s brilliant broodmare Katarica Disco (by Disco Rico). Bred by St. Omer’s and WynOaks Farm and owned by LC Racing, Smooth B boasts earnings of $893,447 with 11 wins, 13 seconds and nine thirds in 61 starts. Traders Luck held second over charging longshot Keithsendshelloooo.

PA-Sired, PA-Bred runners, 3 and up, were featured in the Jump Start Stakes going 7 furlongs, and a strong field of six lined up. Ninetyprcentmaddie took heavy money off his strong graded stakes showings in New York, with Gordian Knot a clear second choice in the wagering. Defending champion Veeson dueled through early fractions alongside 2023 PA Nursery winner Capo, while Gordian Knot tracked in the clear before sweeping past the vying pair in the final furlong. 

The 4-year-old gelding hit the wire 1¼ lengths in front while Capo held second over Veeson. Ninetyprcentmaddie was fifth, beaten eight lengths. It was the first win of the year for Gordian Knot, a son of Social Inclusion who now boasts stakes wins at ages 2, 3 and 4. A homebred for Joe Imbesi, Gordian Knot now features seven wins and four thirds in 14 starts for earnings of $529,730.

The Storm Cat Stakes squared off a field of six over a mile and 70 yards. With a hot and contested early pace of :23.29 and :47.03 being laid down on the front end between favored Movisitor and Windsor Gold, 5-2 second choice Irish Cork was content to trail in last, six lengths off the lead. Margin of Air got the jump on the frontrunners and opened a 2- length lead at the top of the stretch, but Irish Cork and rider Frankie Pennington chugged along up the rail to collar the leader. 

The gray pulled away to a 2½-length win over Margin of Air, while Market Maven checked in third. A 7-year-old son of Flat Out, Irish Cork was making his 41st career start and posted his first ever stakes victory for trainer John Servis and owners Irish Three Racing LLC. Bred by Two-Turn Farm LLC, Irish Cork was a $15,000 weanling purchase at Keeneland November in 2017. His record now stands at eight wins, 11 seconds and eight thirds in 41 starts and earnings of $530,222.

While the Mrs. Penny Stakes was reduced to six when coming off the turf, it allowed the opportunity for Morning Matcha to run as a main track only entrant. With earnings standing at over $970,000, a victory would anoint the 5-year-old mare as racing’s newest millionaire. A heavy 2-5 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile event, Morning Matcha tracked 6 lengths back in fifth before dropping to the rail and blowing past the leaders. Quickly opening up 4 lengths at the top of the stretch, she drew away under her own power for a dominate 11¾-length score to become a millionaire in style. Mia Tosca held off re-rallying frontrunner Nature’s Candy by a head for second. 

It was the fifth career stakes victory for Morning Matcha, whose record now boasts eight wins, seven seconds and seven thirds and earnings of $1,029,940. Bred by Clovis and Joanna Crane’s Crane Thoroughbred Services LLC, she was an $18,000 yearling purchase for LC Racing at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale. Owned by LC Racing, Cash is King, and Gary Barber and trained by Butch Reid, Morning Matcha is the 34th Pennsylvania-bred to earn over a million dollars on the racetrack.

The 11th and final race was a 6½-furlong allowance for fillies and mares. A field of 11 faced the gate and a wicked early pace resulted in a pace meltdown. Confirmed Star, the 5-2 second choice, settled 7 lengths back in ninth down the backstretch before commencing a strong, but wide, rally around the turn. Meanwhile, favored Flamingo Way was moving up along the rail. Confirmed Star and Flamingo Way emerged the two leaders as they turned for home, dueling through the stretch before Confirmed Star started to inch clear. The 4-year-old daughter of Uptowncharlybrown owned by Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC ended up a half-length in front of Flamingo Way at the wire, who in turn held off the fast-closing 64-1 longest shot Pachelbel for second. 

Confirmed Star was bred by Uptowncharlybrown Stud LLC and is a full sister to stakes winner Oxana. She was a $32,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-year-old purchase by LC Racing and now has been first, second or third in 10 of her 12 starts.

A total of $2,633,466 was handled on the card. A big thank you to Parx Racing and the PTHA for helping the PHBA conduct another successful PA Day at the Races!