Bound may offer best value in Plum Pretty Stakes
Parx Racing in suburban Philadelphia has carded three stakes Saturday as its seventh through ninth races.
The sequence begins with the Plum Pretty, a 1 1/16-mile race for Pennsylvania-bred fillies and mares; continues with the Cornucopia, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares; and concludes with the First Responder, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up.
Rolling pick threes and daily doubles connect the stakes.
Plum Pretty (Race 7)
The likely favorites are Maybe Tonight, a winner of two of her last three races, including the restricted Jersey Girl Handicap at Monmouth Park last out, and Lenape Rim, the runner-up in the statebred Mrs. Penny at Parx in her most recent start.
A filly who merits attention at a price is the 3-year-old Bound, who is trained by Bernie Houghton at Penn National. She won a second-level allowance at Presque Isle Downs two starts back and was second in her last race, the statebred Malvern Rose at Presque Isle, to Dame Dorothy.
Dame Dorothy is a $390,000 yearling purchase by Bobby Flay who is trained by Todd Pletcher. She is now 3 for 3 in her career, with wins at Aqueduct, Gulfstream Park, and Presque Isle.
Bound, a two-time winner on dirt, looks to still be improving. She was entered and scratched from a third-level optional-claiming race on turf at Laurel Park last Wednesday.
Cornucopia (Race 8)
This is a competitive race. The principals – Lady Sabelia, Munnings Sister, and Geeky Gorgeous – finished one-two-three in the Red Cross Stakes at Monmouth Park on June 22.
Lady Sabelia won impressively that day after swinging wide into the stretch. She has not started since the Red Cross, but it will be a positive sign if her regular rider, Horacio Karamanos, makes the trip to Parx. He is named on two horses on the card, Lady Sabelia and Sarbanes, both of whom are trained by Robin Graham. Karamanos has been doing well at Laurel recently and will be giving up a day of riding there.
Geeky Gorgeous, the queen of the New Jersey-bred mares, has won three of her last four races for trainer Danny Lopez.
Munnings Sister, the Red Cross runner-up, is trained by Barclay Tagg. The quickest of the trio, she will be making her first start since Aug. 1.
First Responder (Race 9)
The horse to beat here is Fredericksburg, trained by Michael Matz. He has made four of his last five starts in graded company.
In his last two races, he has finished second to Za Approval in the Real Courage Stakes at Belmont Park and to Guys Reward in the Grade 3 Oceanport at Monmouth.
Za Approval will be among the favorites in Saturday’s Grade 3 Knickerbocker at Belmont. Guys Reward is a winner of nine races and close to $800,000.
Page McKenney, trained by Mary Eppler, also should be considered here. He was entered and scratched from a second-level optional-claiming race at Belmont Park last Thursday in favor of this spot.