Parx: A.U. Miner repeats in Greenwood Cup

Ryan Denver/Equi-Photo

A.U. Miner comes from last under Calvin Borel to win the $200,000 Greenwood Cup for a second straight year.

Perhaps a return to suburban Philadelphia was all A.U. Miner needed to regain his good form.

Winless in three starts since upsetting last year’s 1 1/2-mile Greenwood Cup at 14-1, A.U. Miner roared from last to first to capture the $200,000 Greenwood Cup at Parx Racing for the second time.

In addition to collecting the first-place check of $120,000 for owner Don Benge, the 6-year-old A.U. Miner ($8.80) earned a return trip to the Breeders’ Cup Marathon as part of the Win and You’re In program. A.U. Miner finished fourth, but was elevated to third via disqualification in last fall’s Marathon.

Reunited with jockey Calvin Borel for the first time since winning a second-level allowance in May 2010, A.U. Miner was dead last in Saturday’s Greenwood Cup, trailing pacesetter Ponzi Scheme by 12 1/4 lengths, after a mile in 1:39.04. Racing well off the rail, A.U. Miner rallied to fourth with a quarter-mile remaining, made a four-wide move to take the lead coming into the stretch, and drew clear to win by 3 1/2 lengths.

Birdrun, the even-money favorite on the basis of his win in the Grade 2, 1 1/2-mile Brooklyn, held off Afleet Again, the Brooklyn fifth-place finisher, by a neck for second.

A.U. Miner, fifth of six in his only previous start this season, which came in an optional $80,000 claimer, completed the distance on a fast track in 2:30.30.