Penn National: New stablemates move up in class

A pair of horses claimed last time out while running against nonwinners-of-three lifetime company will try to make a successful jump to allowance company in Tuesday night’s featured fifth race at Penn National.

Alicantino, who scored for a $12,500 claiming price going two turns on turf, and Fiery Forest, fourth as the 2-1 choice while running with a $16,000 price on his head, will race as an uncoupled entry for trainer Tim Kreiser in a first-level allowance that carries a $36,000 purse and will be contested a one mile.

Fiery Forest, second choice on the track’s morning line at 3-1, is 0 for 6 this year and 2 for 17 lifetime, but has often been close, collecting five second-place finishes.

He will need to run faster than he did last time out, when he got a 68 Beyer Speed Figure. The Beyer par for a first-level allowance at Penn National is 80. Fiery Forest did post Beyers of 74 and 75 in back-to-back starts going two turns at Parx this spring.

On the plus side, Kreiser is 3 for 14 (21 percent) with a positive return on investment of $2.21 with horses making their first start off a claim in a route following a break of 31 to 60 days. Kreiser has given the mount to Jordano Tunon, who is 5 for 23 riding for the trainer this season.

Alicantino (6-1), who will break just inside of his new stablemate in post 1 with Angel Quinones aboard, is just 1 for 12 on the main track. But he does fit the profile of a previous winner for Kreiser. Two years ago, the trainer claimed D J’s Storm for $12,500 – the same price he paid for Alicantino – and that horse responded to score by six lengths going one mile when moved up to the allowance ranks.

The co-favorites at 5-2 are the Jamie Ness-trained coupled entry of Phil’s Tango and Easton Jack. Ness, who leads the Penn National trainer standings, will ask Phil’s Tango to stretch out following three consecutive sprints to start his current form cycle.

Two starts ago, Easton Jack missed by a neck in a first-level allowance that was taken off the turf, earning a 78 Beyer that is the best recent dirt figure in Tuesday’s field. He subsequently finished seventh while racing in traffic throughout a one-mile allowance on grass.