Ben's Cat tries to notch fourth straight Parx Dash win

The Grade 3 Parx Dash on Saturday is a complicated race with a variety of possible outcomes.

Ben’s Cat owns the five-furlong turf sprint. He has won it the last three years and was second, beaten a head, in 2011. Now 9, he enters in top form for Hall of Fame-elect King Leatherbury but – like everyone else in the 11-horse field – will need things to break right for him.

Ben’s Cat is part of a three-pronged rivalry that will continue in the $200,000 Dash. On May 30, Amelia’s Wild Ride lasted by a nose over Ben’s Cat to win the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup at Penn National. The lightning-fast Bold Thunder finished a neck farther back.

On May 15, Ben’s Cat ran down a loose-on-the-lead Bold Thunder by a neck in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico. Bold Thunder likely cost himself the race by ducking outward from the whip in the stretch and then drifting back inward. Amelia’s Wild Ride finished third, several lengths back.

On April 17, Bold Thunder beat Ben’s Cat in a Pimlico allowance when he shook loose early. That was Ben’s Cat’s first start of the year after wintering on a Maryland farm.

In addition to this well-matched trio, Power Alert is a major player. He is fast, as he showed in winning the Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day. In his most recent start, the six-furlong Jaipur at Belmont Park, he appeared to shy away from a horse one stride from the gate and then had to rush up to challenge for the early lead. He is better than he showed that day.

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KEY CONTENDERS

Power Alert (Last 3 Beyers: 94-101-89)

◗ In the Jaipur and Turf Sprint, he battled on the lead with Something Extra, who finished fourth at even-money in the Grade 2 Highlander at Woodbine last Sunday. While Something Extra is fast, Bold Thunder might be faster still.

◗ He held off the late run of Undrafted to win the five-furlong Turf Sprint at Churchill. Undrafted came back to win the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee going six furlongs at Royal Ascot.

◗ Brian Lynch, the trainer of Power Alert, is on a roll. From June 27 to July 5, he won with 6 of 14 starters, including the Grade 3 James Penny Memorial at Parx and the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine.

Ben’s Cat (Last 3 Beyers: 100-103-86)

◗ He loves Parx, where he has a record of 8-5-2-1 and earnings of $888,500.

Amelia’s Wild Ride (Last 3 Beyers: 100-90-64)

◗ Following his Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup victory, trainer Ramon Preciado credited jockey Jose Lezcano with keeping him relaxed early and saving his best move for the stretch. Angel Arroyo takes over Saturday.

Bold Thunder (Last 3 Beyers: 99-102-95)

◗ He will be out winging from his rail post. The question is: How much quicker is he than Power Alert?

◗ Stormofthecentury and Tightend Touchdown both have a lot of back class. If one of them hits the board, it will greatly help the exotic payoffs.