Pennsylvania’s day at the races 2025

Pennsylvania’s Day at the Races at Parx on Friday, Sept. 19, lived up to its billing, offering a full card of competitive action that celebrated the strength of the state’s breeding and racing program. The 11-race card featured over $1 million in purses, breeder and stallion awards. With packed fields, spirited finishes, and a showcase of homegrown talent, the day built up excitement heading into Pennsylvania Derby weekend. 

Ninetyprcentmaddie - winner of the Storm Cat Stakes 2025

The day kicked off with 11 registered PA-Bred 2-year-old colts and geldings in a $65,000 maiden special weight. Favored Red Zone Runner, a homebred for Tom Coulter’s Arrowwood Farm, tracked inside pacesetting Ponder and Dream before cutting the corner turning for home and holding off Sylmar Farm’s rallying Mister Me for a neck victory.

The second race, a sprint for 3 and up, also featured maiden action and drew a field of 12. Mr Punctuality, a homebred for Uptowncharlybrown Stud LLC, dueled early with Sams After Party before taking command in the stretch. The 3-year-old Rowayton gelding out of the Uptowncharlybrown mare Ice Diamond held sway over late-closing Lion in the Sun for a 1½-length score.

Allowance action got started in race 4 with fillies and mares sprinting 6½ furlongs for a purse of $70,000. Heavily favored Kappa Kappa took control in the early going and never looked back, coasting to a 6-length victory while under wraps. Her time of 1:15.87 was the day’s fastest at the distance. Bred by Stone Jug Ranch LLC, Kappa Kappa was a $65,000 yearling purchase for LC Racing. Racing for LC Racing LLC, Cash is King LLC and Wellesley Stable, the 3-year-old filly is now 2-for-3 lifetime, has earnings of $104,000, and appears to have a promising future.

Filly and mare maidens sprinted 6½ furlongs in the fifth race. First and second choices J C’s Lovin’ Life and Irish Banba sat just off the early pacesetter before Irish Banba rallied inside her rival entering the stretch. Holding off a furious late rally by Caitlin the Great, the homebred for Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC held on to break her maiden by a neck.

The third and sixth races were $25,000 claiming events with purses of $45,000 and saw victories by longshot Wild Girl, bred by Linda Merritt, and the much more supported Regalpains, bred by Equivine Farm LLC, respectively.

Following her 3-year-old half-brother Regalpains’ victory in the previous race, first-time starter Crown Royal Babe doubled up for breeder Equivine Farm LLC in the seventh. A 5½-furlong maiden special weight with a baker’s dozen field of 2-year-old fillies, Crown Royal Babe dueled with pacesetting Extrasexyzqteepeye through the stretch before scoring by a neck. A $50,000 purchase at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale, she is a daughter of Uptowncharlybrown. Her homebred dam, the winning Congrats mare Royalaspen, has three winners from four foals of racing age.

Stakes action kicked off in race eight, with the $100,000 Prince Lucky Stakes at 7 furlongs featuring the final leg of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series for 3-year-olds. Beyondexpectations, a Peace and Justice half-brother to prior Stallion Series winner Uncle Heavy (by Social Inclusion), set the early pace, while carving out fractions of :23.12 and :46.08, before he was confronted by the Houghton-trained favorites Come Prima and Silhoutte Cove. With Come Prima rallying strongest, Beyondexpectations carried his rival out while under left-handed urging. Come Prima’s closing kick fell a head short, but the inquiry and objection signs were quickly lit.

Following a lengthy review, Beyondexpectations was disqualified and placed second behind Come Prima. A son of Well Spelled, Come Prima was bred by Godstone Farm LLC and has now won three of his last four starts. Runner-up Beyondexpectations was bred by Barbara Reid, while third-place finisher Silhoutte Cove was bred by Betsy Houghton.

PA-Sired fillies followed with their final leg of the Stallion Series in the $100,000 Imply Stakes over the same 7-furlong distance. Favored Carousel Queen dropped back to last in the early going but quickly passed rivals around the far turn to take command entering the stretch. She coasted to an easy 5¼-length score for her first career stakes victory. 

A homebred for Dennis Johnson, Carousel Queen was the second winner on the card for stallion Uptowncharlybrown. The top three finishers all featured homebreds, with Uptowncharlybrown Stud’s Up N Runnin, also by Uptowncharlybrown, checking in second, while Jerry Kolybabiuk’s Angel of Hope finished third.

The final stakes on the card was the $100,000 Storm Cat at a mile and 70 yards. Early pacesetter Dropline set quick early fractions of :22.78 and :46.29 while even-money favorite Wild Vine dropped back to last. Tracking 2 lengths behind Dropline was Ninetyprcentmaddie, who confronted the early leader turning into the stretch as Wild Vine uncorked a strong late rally. With Wild Vine diving down to the rail, Ninetyprcentmaddie was resilient through the stretch as the pair dueled. At the wire, Ninetyprcentmaddie held on for the nose victory.

A homebred for LC Racing LLC, the 5-year-old son of Weigelia recorded stakes wins at 2 and 3, but hadn’t visited the winner’s circle since the Carle Place Stakes in New York in October 2023, 15 starts back. With a record of six wins, eight seconds, and six thirds in 28 starts, his career earnings now stand at $637,380. Runner-up Wild Vine, by Red Vine, was bred by R R Equine Stables LLC, and third-place finisher Dropline (by Uncle Lino) was bred by R H Breeding.

The final race of the day featured another 6½-furlong allowance worth $70,000. Saratoga shipper Insurmountable was a strong favorite and did not disappoint, coasting to a 3½-length score. Bred by Justine and Marc Howell’s Whysper Wynd Farm LLC, Insurmountable was recently purchased by trainer Jeremiah Englehart for $150,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Horses of Racing Age Sale. The 3-year-old colt previously collected blacktype when second in the Carry Back Stakes at Gulfstream Park on July 4.

From wire-to-wire sprints to dramatic stretch runs, Pennsylvania’s Day at the Races once again highlighted the depth of the state’s racing program. Fans left with plenty to cheer about – and with anticipation building toward the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion Stakes to come.