PA DERBY AND COTILLION TOP BIG DAY IN THE KEYSTONE STATE
The biggest day of racing in Pennsylvania will be on Saturday, when a pair of lucrative stakes will lure some superb race horses to the region for a pair of million dollar races. Parx racing hosts both the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G2) and the $1 Million Cotillion S. (G1).
In the Derby, eight are set to travel the 1 1/8 miles distance led by the dead-heat winners of the recent Travers S. (G1); Alpha and Golden Ticket. The former has been a top performer since early in his career and bagged the Jim Dandy (G2) in impressive fashion two races back. The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained son of Bernardini comes back fairly quickly following that grueling race at the Spa, and we know he’ll be in the hunt from the start.
Golden Ticket outran his odds in the Travers but was clearly on the horse on the improve and he’s seemingly put it all together for trainer Kenny McPeek. The dark bay son of Speightstown has been first or second in six of his last second and can’t be taken lightly in this spot. Macho Macho was a fine winner of the West Virginia Derby (G2) in his latest effort, and the son of Macho Uno has a ton of ability and should be on the ticket for Steve Asmussen. Grade 2-placed stakes winner Csaba, Smarty Jones S. hero Junebugred, Secretariat S. (G1) fourth Handsome Mike, Count Fleet S. second Stephanoatsee and Casual Trick, a two-time allowance winner here leading up to this, rounds out the field.
Superstar filly Questing, who has won three straight dirt races including the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Alabama S. (G1) in succession, leads a compact yet superbly talented field of four in the Cotillion. The McLaughlin trainee really took to hand when switching to the main oval and her latest effort could have been the race of the meeting at Saratoga, when dominating a fine field in a sharp time while earning a 108 Speed number. Irad Ortiz, Jr. stays aboard.
Unbeaten champion My Miss Aurelia will make her second start of 2012 and will surely get tested here for Asmussen. The sensational daughter of Smart Strike was a bit green in a stakes race last month off a long layoff, but her juvenile form was exquisite and she would be no surprise. Moment in Dixie has yet to be worse than second from four lifetime tries, and the Jimmy Toner pupil would be a big threat in this race in nearly any other year. Dixie Strike, who topped the boys in the $500,000 Prince of Wales S. at Woodbine two back, can’t be ignored either in this fine field.
The $300,000 Gallant Bob S., led by standout sprinters Trinniberg and Currency Swap, is also on this fine Saturday program.