Cousin Stephen tests older horses in allowance feature

Cousin Stephen, who was briefly on the Triple Crown trail after a close third in his stakes debut early this year, returns from a three-month layoff to face older horses for the first time in Monday’s $45,000 feature at Parx Racing.

The first-level allowance, scheduled for a mile on the main track, goes as race 8 at 3:34 p.m. Eastern and drew 10 horses, plus an also-eligible.

Cousin Stephen rose to prominence when he set the pace and finished third, beaten just three-quarters of a length, in the Grade 3 Sam Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in February. He regressed when sixth in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby a month later and has not raced since then.

New York-based trainer Chad Brown has literally been winning with everything he has shipped to Parx this season, winning 8 of 9 starts and finishing second with his other starter. Brown’s record with horses returning from a break of 61 to 180 days in a dirt route allowance is 4 for 9 (44 percent).

The two horses on the outside in posts 9 and 10, M J Plus and Trading Secrets, are viable alternatives if they can work out a favorable trip.

M J Plus is barely eligible for this condition after missing by a nose in first-level allowances in two of his last three starts. His trainer, Marcos Zulueta, is 7 for 23 (30 percent) with horses who finished in the money last time out returning in less than 30 days in a dirt route allowance.

Trading Secrets has won each of the last three times he has raced on dirt, including twice at Gulfstream Park. He will be racing for the first time since romping by six lengths going a one-turn mile against $25,000 claimers in April. From a limited sampling, trainer Jorge Navarro is 2 for 5 with last-out winners switching from claiming to allowance company.

Graybignbadlikedad was fourth each of the last two times he tried first-level allowance company, but could be ready for a peak performance making the third start of his current form cycle. His trainer, Ramon Preciado, is 8 for 31 (26 percent) third time off the layoff in dirt route allowances. Two starts ago, Graybignbadlikedad won going a mile with an 86 Beyer Speed Figure slightly better than the par of 85 for Monday’s class level.