Broad Rule has winning in the family

The mare Illeria, a stakes winner during her racing career, produced her first foal way back in 1995. Serenity Jane, the name given that youngster, made three starts, and won none of them. But Illeria’s 1996 model, eventually named Magic Broad, was much more racehorse: Her five career wins included a victory in the Grade 3 Selima Stakes. In 1997, Illeria gave birth to a foal who would be named Include, and for a while in 2001, Include was the best thing out there, scoring sharp back-to-back-to-back victories in the New Orleans Handicap, the Pimlico Special, and the Massachusetts Handicap. Nine more of Illeria’s offspring have made the races, including the good horse Encaustic, and Illeria is at it again: Her 2-year-old Dixie Union colt, Broad Rule, won his career debut Aug. 20 at Laurel, and will try to go 2 for 2 in the featured ninth race Tuesday at Parx Racing at Philadelphia Park.

Broad Rule won his first out by three-quarters of a length, racing for Illeria’s owner, Fitzhugh Inc. – the stable name of owner-breeder Bob Meyerhoff – and trainer Dickie Small. At 5 1/2 furlongs, one could imagine the race being shorter than Broad Rule’s best distance. And since Small wins with first-time starters at a moderate 9-percent clip, one might draw the conclusion that there are better things to come from Broad Rule. He worked back a quick half-mile in 48 seconds on Tuesday at Laurel, and is well drawn on the outside of seven rivals in the first-level allowance race.

The race also includes the promising Running Tap, a Tapit colt who won his career debut at Saratoga by 2 1/2 lengths on Aug. 19. Trained by George Weaver for owners Jim and Susan Hill, Running Tap has worked back twice since his win, and Javier Castellano, aboard at Saratoga, sees fit to come to Philadelphia for just his third ride of the meet. Running Tap stalked the pace from an outside draw in his debut, but will have to break from the fence on Tuesday.

Trainer John Servis entered two in the race: Parvenu rallied to win his career debut over 4 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 1 at Parx, while Avalanche Attack was second in his debut at Penn National before coming back to win his next out at Parx, that back on July 16.