Pick 3 of the Week: Parx Saturday, September 19

I will focus on the three-race sequence leading up to the trio of graded stakes events at Parx on Saturday for the Pick 3 of the Week. 

Race 9 Wagers

• $1 Pick 3: 1,3,4,7,9 with 9 with 3,5,6,8,10 ($25)
• $1 Pick 3: 1,3,4,7,9 with 3,8,9 with 5 ($15)

Race 9 – Liberty Bell S. 

Fillies and mares will dash 6 1/2 furlongs on the dirt in the first piece of the play. A field of 10 is signed on, and I will use a quintet of contenders to kick-start the wager. Millionaire #4 Haulin Ice (8-5) is the one to beat for Saffie Joseph. The Coal Front mare was a smart runner-up behind a wire-to-wire victress in the Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga last time and proved she can rally effectively from off the pace. Flavien Prat will ride the versatile mare.

 Grade 2 queen #9 Irish Maxima (9-2) has won four straight for trainer John Servis and will be a major contender with her top performance. The five-year-old course specialist is an unblemished four-for-four on the strip. #1 Reputation (10-1) has run a few good ones in her lifetime and will show vast improvement second off the shelf for George Weaver. Grade 2 victress #3 Kappa Kappa (8-1) and the speedy #7 She’s a Gamer (5-1) will also make the ticket. 

Race 10 – Greenwood Cup S. 

A cast of nine stayers will go the marathon trip of 1 1/2 miles on the dirt in the middle portion of the play. The Bill Mott-trained #9 Parchment Party (9-5) will be a single on many tickets and deservedly so. The Constitution five-year-old is among the top horses in the country at races of this nature, and I didn't love his trip when he was beaten by a nose in the Birdstone S. at Saratoga last time out. If jockey John Velazquez can give this one a sensible trip from the outside post, which I expect him to, then the Kentucky-bred will be formidable with something close to his best showing. 

I feel only two other horses in the field are capable of winning the race – #3 San Siro (5-2) and expected pacesetter #8 Stronsino (6-1). 

Race 11 – Parx Dirt Mile S. 

I expect that the pair of favorites on the morning line will take the lion’s share of the attention at the windows, but this field features numerous runners who have run fast enough in the past to win the race, and I will spread on one ticket to conclude the play. 

Defending champ #3 Nelson Avenue (10-1), logical favorite #5 Bracket Buster (9-5), the Jamie Ness-trained #6 Wild Vine (10-1), Grade 3 winner #8 Alexander Helios (15-1), and second choice #10 Saudi Crown (3-1) are the ones.