Penn National: Lenape Rim handles turf, two turns in Lyphard

Lenape Rim, who had been racing almost exclusively in dirt sprints throughout her 15-race career, handled a stretch-out in distance and her first attempt on turf to capture Friday night’s $75,000 Lyphard Stakes at Penn National.

All five of her previous wins came on wet tracks, although Lenape Rim did finish a close second going 1 1/16 miles in her lone try on a synthetic surface in last summer’s Malvern Rose at Presque Isle Downs and good form on all-weather surfaces often translates well to turf.

In the Lyphard, a 1 1/16-mile turf face restricted to Pennsylvania-bred fillies and mares, Lenape Rim ($14.40) saved ground under William Otero while settling in third. Weeper, a stretch-out sprinter who set fractions of 48.31 and 1:12.66, began to wilt in the final furlong. Parx shipper Little Often Anni, ridden by Abel Castelllano Jr., and Lenape Rim both rallied in deep stretch with Lenape Rim prevailing by a head in 1:43.71.

Little Often Anni was a length clear of the Jonathan Sheppard-trained Sky Willow for third. It was another neck back to Willow. Ask Me Anything finished fifth as the 5-2 favorite.

Lenape Rim, a 4-year-old daughter of Rimrod owned by the partnership of Norris Gelman, Daniel McConnell, and trainer Mike Salvaggio is now 6 for 16 lifetime. She was making her second start of the season. Each of her last six starts dating back to last September came in six-furlong dirt sprints.