OffTrackBetting.com – The Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes comes our way this Labor Day Monday, September 5 from Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Three year olds will be featured when they take to Parx’s dirt track and race 1 1/16 miles for the winner’s share of the $300,000 purse.
A full and wide open field of 14 will take to the track in the Smarty Jones Stakes – race 9 on Parx’s Labor Day Monday card. Post time is 5:19 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all 14 entries for this holiday Monday Grade 3 stakes.
2016 Smarty Jones Stakes Race Preview at Parx Racing
Voluntario 7-2 – has placed in six of nine career starts for trainer Rudy Rodriguez – three wins, two seconds and a third place finish. He made his graded stakes debut last time out and finished fourth in the Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park July 9. Before that was an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Pimlico June 18 and consecutive seconds including the minor LARC Sir Barton Stakes in May. He had been in decent form before his step up last time out and will be out to avenge that result. He lines up in post 13 with Kendrick Carmouche in the reins of the tepid morning line favorite.
Sticksstatelydude 5-1 – has two wins and two second place finishes in five career starts for trainer Greg Burchell. Last time out was an Allowance score at Belmont Park July 15 after a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Churchill Downs in June, eight months away and a fourth in the Breeders’ Futurity in October. Sticksstatelydude has been OK and could contend Monday. Joel Rosario will try to induce that effort on the second betting choice from gate 6.
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Awesome Slew 6-1 – Edward Plesa trained colt has five career starts with two nice wins and a third place finish. Last time out was a sixth in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park July 31 after an OK third in the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park June 19 and one of his wins – an Allowance Optional Claiming on that track May 21. Before that was an OK fourth in his only other stakes action – the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga last July and a maiden score at first asking on June, 2015. Awesome Slew will be after his first stakes win from the outside gate 14. Paco Lopez rides this morning line third choice.
Gettysburg 8-1 – Todd Pletcher trained colt has a win, a second and two third place finishes in eight career starts and was last seen running eighth in the Belmont Stakes in June. Before that was a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming May 26, a fifth in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby April 16, a second in the minor Sunland Park Festival of Racing Stakes in March and another fifth in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay in February. He looks for his first stakes score Saturday and enters in so-so form. Corey Lanerie will be in the saddle from post 7.
Unbridled Daddy 8-1 – Todd Pletcher trained colt has two wins, a second and two third place finishes in nine career starts. He finished third in the Grade 2 With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga last September and went on to a tenth in the Grade 3 Dixiana Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland in October. He has just five starts since – a disappointing sixth last time out in the Grade 2 National Museum Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga August 5 followed a decent second in the minor Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park July 9, a seventh in the Grade 3 Penn Mile June 4, an OK third in the minor Woodhaven Stakes at Aqueduct April 23 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Gulfstream March 19. Unbridled Daddy shoots for his first stakes score and for a bounce back Monday from post 9. Joe Bravo has the mount.
Uncle Vinny 10-1 – won two of his first three career starts for trainer Todd Pletcher including the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga July 25, 2015 and followed that with a third in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes on that track last September. He has placed in just two of five starts since. Last time out was a fourth in the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga July 30 after an OK third in the minor Long Branch Stakes July 9 and a second in an Allowance May 30 – the last two at Monmouth Park. Uncle Vinny will be after his first win in 14 months Monday – from post 11 with Victor Lebron guiding him.
Wild About Deb 10-1 – lightly races Ramon Preciado trained colt has a win, a second and a third place finish in four career starts. He enters off a seventh in the minor Ohio Derby after a respectable third in the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes May 14, a maiden score in April and a second in his debut in November. Wild About Deb chases his first stakes score Monday from gate 2. Tiago Josue Pereira rides.
Abiding Star 15-1 – Edward Allard trained colt has 13 career starts with five wins, a second and a third place finish. He made his graded stakes debut two starts back and finished a disappointing eleventh in the Preakness Stakes and followed that with a sixth last time out in the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park June 19. Before that he was on fire – five straight wins including the minor Parx Derby May 7, an Allowance Optional Claiming April 12 and the minor Private Terms Stakes at Laurel Park March 12. Abiding Star looked untouchable before his step up on the biggest stage and hopes for a strong rebound Monday. Frankie Pennington will be in the reins from gate 8 hoping to accomplish that goal.
Cocked and Loaded 15-1 – Michael Pino trained colt won his first two career starts but stumbled badly after that. He was sixth in last year’s Grade 3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga in July and fifth in the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity in August. He won the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs September 12, 2015 and took until last time out to post victory again – in a Claiming race at Saratoga August 4. Before his most recent win was a seventh in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby July 16, a fourth in the minor Ohio Derby, an eleventh in the Grade 3 Arlington Classic and a thirteenth in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile. Cocked and Loaded had failed to place in four starts before a win last time out and will be out to build on that effort from post 3. Ruben Silvera will be in the reins.
Name Changer 20-1 – Alan Goldberg trained colt has placed in five of six career starts – two wins, a second and two third place finishes. Last time out was a decent third in his graded stakes debut – the Grade 2 West Virginia Stakes at Mountaineer August 6 which followed an Allowance score here July 2, a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track June 11 and a fourth in a similar race at Belmont Park in May. Name Changer has been in every race so far in his career and hopes to continue that trend from post 5 with Jevian Toledo in the irons.
Discreet Lover 20-1 – Uriah Lewis trained colt has two wins, four seconds and two third place finishes in 15 career starts. He enters off an Allowance score on this track August 2 which followed an eighth in his only graded stakes action to date – the Grade 3 Indiana Derby July 16, an OK third in the minor Ohio Derby, a fifth in the Sir Barton Stakes May 21 and a decent second in the minor Parx Derby May 7. Discreet Lover has been inconsistent to say the least but has quietly placed in five of his last seven starts. He looks for his first stakes score from gate 4 with Jose Luis Flores guiding him.
Let Me Go First 20-1 – has three wins and three third place finishes in 10 career starts for trainer Blane Servis – he’s hit the board six times in eight starts on this track. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score here July 31 after a third in a similar race June 20 and a ninth in an Allowance Optional Claiming June 5. His last stakes action came in May – a third in the minor Parx Derby. Let Me Go First has been OK in his career but will still be looking for his first stakes score from the rail Monday. Charles Lopez rides.
Titanium Heart 20-1 – Juan Andres Rodriguez trained colt makes his graded stakes debut Monday having posted two wins, a second and a third place finish in his eight career starts. Last time out was an Allowance score here July 23 which followed a sixth in his only stakes action to date – the minor Forty Niner Stakes at Gulfstream June 18, a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming in May and a maiden score in April. Titanium Heart has been OK against lesser company but could be in over his head in this major step up in competition. Mychel Sanchez gets the call from gate 12.
Seeking the Soul 20-1 – has one win and two second place finishes in five career starts for trainer Dallas Stewart. Last time out was a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Indiana Grand July 16 which followed a twelfth in the Belmont Stakes and a maiden score in May – in his third career start. Seeking the Soul hopes for a breakthrough performance Monday when he leaves from gate 10 with Brian Joseph Hernandez aboard.
2016 Smarty Jones Stakes Entries & Odds
Race 9 on Parx Racing’s Monday card with a Post Time of 5:19 PM.
Entry | Horse | ML Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Let Me Go First | 20-1 | Charles Lopez | Blane Servis |
2 | Wild About Deb | 10-1 | Tiago Pereira | Ramon Preciado |
3 | Cocked and Loaded | 15-1 | Ruben Silvera | Michael Pino |
4 | Discreet Lover | 20-1 | Jose Flores | Uriah St. Lewis |
5 | Name Changer | 20-1 | Jevian Toledo | Alan Goldberg |
6 | Sticksstatelydude | 5-1 | Joel Rosario | Greg Burchell |
7 | Gettysburg | 8-1 | Corey Lanerie | Steven Asmussen |
8 | Abiding Star | 15-1 | Frankie Pennington | Edward Allard |
9 | Unbridled Daddy | 8-1 | Joe Bravo | Todd Pletcher |
10 | Seeking the Soul | 20-1 | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | Dallas Stewart |
11 | Uncle Vinny | 10-1 | Victor Lebron | Todd Pletcher |
12 | Titanium Heart | 20-1 | Mychel Sanchez | Juan Rodriguez |
13 | Voluntario | 7-2 | Kendrick Carmouche | Rudy Rodriguez |
14 | Awesome Slew | 6-1 | Paco Lopez | Edward Plesa, Jr. |