Parx: Winning Image likely to benefit from scratch of Nicole H

Four of the six female sprinters entered in Tuesday’s $75,000 Cornucopia Stakes at Parx Racing are cross-entered in Wednesday night’s $100,000 Daylily Stakes at Penn National.

The connections of Winning Image, Withgreatpleasure, and Ms. Cruisin should have an easier time making up their minds where to run after New York-based trainer Mike Hushion decided on Saturday afternoon that he will take multiple stakes winner Nicole H to Penn National.

“The race at Penn is more money,” said Hushion, shortly after conferring with John Waken, who races as Gem Inc., the owner of Nicole H. She is listed as the even-money favorite for the Daylily, which like the Cornucopia will be contested at six furlongs.

With Nicole H headed to central Pennsylvania, Winning Image will likely inherit the role of favorite while getting to run at her home track, where she is 3 for 4 lifetime.

The 5-year-old Winning Image set the pace and finished second behind Nicole H while making her first start since August in last month’s Endine at Delaware Park. In her two previous local races, Winning Image won the $150,000 My Juliet in May and the $75,000 Langhorne in March.

A year ago, Winning Image rolled to a front-running 4 1/4-length score over six rivals in the Cornucopia.

The 4-year-old Ms. Cruisin and the New Jersey-based Withgreatpleasure have also shown an affinity for Parx’s main track.

Ms. Cruisin, first or second in 6 of 9 starts on Parx’s dirt, steps up to stakes company following a close second in a third-level optional $40,000 claimer on Oct. 23.

Withgreatpleasure has 2 firsts and 2 seconds in 4 previous races locally. She cuts back in distance after six straight two-turn races, including a win in an overnight stakes at Delaware.

The 4-year-old Withgreatpleasure was in front after the first six furlongs in two of her last three starts, including the Pink Ribbon at Charles Town.

Bounding Bi returns to the main track for the first time since June 2011, when she finished fourth in a first-level allowance. She finished third in the 2010 running of the Cornucopia.

Puddy de Luca, 3 for 8 lifetime at Parx, completes the field. She has primarily been running for a claiming tag this season, but does come off a second-place finishing going six furlongs in a stakes restricted to Pennsylvania-breds.