Downhill Racer can give connections sweep of juvenile stakes in Pennsylvania Nursery

Trainer Jonathan Sheppard won the $100,000 Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies at Penn National with Rose Tree on Nov. 23. This Saturday, he will try to win the male counterpart to that race at Parx with Downhill Racer.

The $100,000 Pennsylvania Nursery is a seven-furlong race for statebred 2-year-olds. The Blue Mountain, for Pennsylvania-bred fillies, was one furlong shorter in distance.

Rose Tree and Downhill Racer were both bred by Rodman and Alice Moorhead III and race for their Buttonwood Farm, a 250-acre property outside West Grove, Pa., close to Hall of Fame horseman Sheppard’s Ashwell Stable training center.

Rose Tree is now 2 for 2 in her career. Downhill Racer comes into the Nursery off a debut maiden win at Penn National. Andrew Wolfsont is the rider of both horses.

Downhill Racer came from off the pace to win his debut, with the inside rail opening up for him at an opportune time. The runner-up in that five-horse field, Heat Dome, came back to finish second, as did fourth-place My Nephew Koko. The third-place finisher, World View, finished third in his next start.

Downhill Racer was given a Beyer Speed Figure of 56 for his win and will need to improve Saturday to defeat The Gemini Man, who earned a 65 Beyer in a debut win over the Parx surface for trainer William Hedus.

Maryland-based trainer Cal Lynch has won 2-year-old stakes during each of the last two weekends. He took the Swynford at Woodbine last Sunday with Undulated and the James F. Lewis III the prior Saturday with El Areeb. He has entered both Heat Dome and Windcries in the Nursery.

Pennsylvania Nursery, Race 5

Key Contenders

Downhill Racer, by Jump Start

Beyer: 56

◗ He is eligible to move forward in his second start, just as Rose Tree did in the Blue Mountain.

◗ Wolfsont stays aboard. He also won on Nursery contender Indominus Rex, who beat Heat Dome in his most recent race.

The Gemini Man, by Astrology

Beyer: 65

◗ He defeated open $40,000 maiden claimers in his debut. The runner-up, Refunded, came back to win at the same level next time out.

◗ He has the best early speed of the top contenders in this seven-horse field.

Indominus Rex, by Petionville

Beyer: 60

◗ Came from off the pace to win his debut in a sharp effort for Rodrigo Madrigal.

Heat Dome, by Jump Start

Beyers: 57-52

◗ Although still a maiden, she has shown ability, and not all that much separates him from Downhill Racer or Indominus Rex.