Coffee Clique becomes millionaire in Penny Memorial Handicap

Class relief and a road trip to suburban Philadelphia enabled multiple graded stakes winner Coffee Clique to snap a three-race losing streak in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Dr. James Penny Memorial Handicap at Parx Racing.

Her $120,000 share of the purse enabled Coffee Clique to surpass the $1 million milestone in earnings with $1,041,488.

After going 3 for 3 in 2014, highlighted by victories in the Grade 1 Just a Game at Belmont Park and the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs, Coffee Clique started out her 2015 campaign by finishing third in the Grade 2 Honey Fox at Gulfstream Park and second in the Distaff Turf Mile, followed by an off-the-board performance in the Just a Game in early June.

Dropping to the Grade 3 level for the first time since the Ontario Colleen two years ago, Coffee Clique ($3.40) was three-wide into the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile Penny and third down the backstretch, about two lengths behind fractions of 48.59 seconds and 1:12.70 set by 67-1 longshot Sassy Little Cat.

Manny Franco, aboard the 5-year-old Coffee Clique for the first time, asked his mount to launch a wide bid on the turn for home. She took the lead approaching the eighth pole, sticking her head in front of 29-1 outsider Pink Poppy, and won by 1 1/4 lengths.

Testa Rossi, winner of the Grade 3 Endeavor by disqualification in January, finished second as the 7-2 second choice in a field of nine fillies and mares, a neck in front of Pink Poppy.

In winning for the seventh time in 15 career starts for trainer Brian Lynch and Amerman Racing, Coffee Clique completed the distance on a turf course rated firm in 1:42.64.