How to bet the Parx Future Stars Stakes

A nice field of juveniles will dash seven-eighths on the Parx main strip in Tuesday’s $75,000 Future Stars S. 

Although nine entered, two key contenders are also in Saturday’s Jerome S.  at Aqueduct. At last report in Daily Racing Form, both Parx morning-line favorite #1 Mailata (5-2) and #5 Freedom’s Echo (6-1) were expected to opt for the Jerome. Our wagering strategy relies on others here. 

Future Stars Wagers

• $20 win #4 Red Zone Runner ($20)
• $5 exacta key box 4 with 2,6 ($20)

#4 Red Zone Runner (9-2) was a game debut winner on the local dirt and comes off a solid third in the Pennsylvania Nursery S. last time out for Eric McClellan. The dark bay son of Practical Joke will be equipped with blinkers for the initial time in this heat, and if the equipment change aids the colt, then he will be a major player from slightly off the pace at a fair price in the dash. Inoel Beato inherits the ride atop the April foal who sped a swift half-mile drill at Penn National in advance of this tilt. 

#6 Carnival Rock (6-1) is two-for-three in his lifetime and was last seen driving home a clear winner over allowance runners on the synthetic at Presque Isle Downs. The son of young sire Rock Your World was a victor at first asking in his lone prior run on the dirt, and I expect him to close well and pass runners in the stretch in this spot. Julio Hernandez will guide the Ivan Calderon-trained colt on Tuesday. 

If Butch Reid does send Mailata to the Jerome, he still has another chance here in recent stakes victor #2 Tough Guy Tony (4-1), who would have the rail with the scratch of his stablemate to the inside. By Maximus Mischief, the $27,000 yearling buy is three-for-five in his lifetime and could inherit the lead with a clean break from the gate. The March foal has experience over the track, as a maiden winner here back in August, and the Kentucky-bred has proven to be capable of running well from on or off the pace, too.