Las Vegas, NV – Smarty Jones Day at Parx Racing in Bensalem Pennsylvania happens this Sunday, September 2. The main event on the card – the Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes will feature three year olds willing to go one mile and 70 yards on Parx’s dirt track for a purse of $350,000.
The Smarty Jones has drawn a strong field of 10 three years olds to go in race 11 on Parx’s Labor Day Monday card. Post time is 5:18 PM. Let’s take a brief glance into the past performances of all 10 entries for this Grade 3 stakes – a major prep for the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby here September 21.
Uncaptured – Mark Casse trained colt ended 2012 with a bang with wins in the Grade 3 Iroquois and the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and has been good this year as well with a win and three seconds in five starts – the lone poor performance came in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes when he finished tenth. Last time out was a win in the minor Prince of Whales Stakes at Fort Erie after a second to Code West in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in June. He has an impressive seven wins and three seconds in 12 career starts, is the co-highweight at 124 pounds and should be considered the favorite Monday from post 10.
Micromanage – Todd Pletcher trained colt raced in graded stakes company for the first time in 2013 last time out and finished an OK third behind Verrazano and Power Broker in the competitive Grade 1 Haskell after a fifth in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes in October and a tenth in the Grade 2 Remsen in November. He has three other starts this year – an Allowance Optional Claiming score May 11 at Monmouth Park after nearly six months away, a second in the minor Easy Goer Stakes behind Power Broker at Belmont Park June 8 and a nice win in the minor Long Branch Stakes here July 7. He has three wins, a second and a third place finish in seven career starts, is the other co-highweight and will have Joe Bravo in the saddle from post 5. He is also entered in the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes the same day.
Battier – Todd Pletcher trained colt has four wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in nine career starts and is coming off an OK third in the Grade 3 Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga August 9 after his worst career effort – a sixth in the Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park July 6. Prior to that he placed in three straight minor stakes races – the best result being a win in the one mile Fit to Fight Stakes at Aqueduct in April. He has been in the money in eight of nine career starts and could threaten the leaders this weekend. He is also cross-entered in the Saranac.
Speak Logistics – started his career with a fourth place finish but won his next two starts – a Maiden Special Weight at Monmouth August 18 and the Florida Stallion In Reality Stakes October 13 at Calder by 2 3/4 lengths while earning a 90 Beyer Speed figure. He was seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November and started 2013 with a fourth in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis February 2. He has since placed in all three of his starts – a third in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in February and a pair of seconds – the Calder Derby in April and an Allowance Optional Claiming at Monmouth August 10.
Betweenherandcool – Steve Asmussen pupil entered the Grade 3 Iowa Derby in June on a two race win streak – a MSW at Oaklawn Park in April and an Allowance Optional Claiming at Churchill Downs June 2. He finished a very good second to Looking Cool in his graded stakes debut and put followed that with a respectable fourth in the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby last time out August 3. He now has seven career starts with two wins and two second place finished. He has two wins and a second in his last four starts and is an intriguing name to watch ahead of the Smarty Jones.
Smarty Jones Stakes betting at Parx Racing with OffTrackBetting.com
Bellarmine – Kenneth McPeek trained colt is coming off a fourth in the minor Sir Cat Stakes at Saratoga July 28 after a fifth in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes June 15. Before that was two straight wins – the last being an Allowance Optional Claiming at Churchill Downs in May. He has finished off the board twice in six starts – both of those results have come in his step up in competition in his last two races.
Edge of Reality – Anthony Dutrow trainee makes his graded stakes debut Monday off a third place finish in his stakes debut – the minor Curlin Stakes at Saratoga July 26. Before that was a pair of Allowance scores on this track. He has three career wins in six starts – all of which are at Parx but Monday marks a huge step up in competition. He is a coupled entry along with…
Snake Pit – Chad Brown trained colt races in stakes company for the first time Monday having finished fourth in three of his last four Allowance starts. Sandwiched in there is an Allowance score on this track July 8 however. He enters having two wins and a third place finish in seven career starts.
English Manor – local entry has raced exclusively at Parx and has three wins, five seconds and two third place finishes in 7 starts. He won a pair of Starter Allowance races earlier this summer and was most recently third in an Allowance August 3. Needless to say with two of his three career wins in his last three starts, English Manor enters in career best form.
Norumbega – has seven career starts for trainer Shug McGaughey with two wins, a second and a third place finish. Last time out was one of those wins – an Allowance at Saratoga July 28 after a fifth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Belmont Park in June. Monday marks Norumbega’s stakes debut.
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