Dunleavy: How I'd play Parx on Monday, Sept. 1

I’ve been looking at the past performances for the Monday card at Parx all week. The four stakes on the day, worth a combined $1 million, are races 8 to 11. They are tied together with a 50-cent pick four and also rolling pick threes and daily doubles.

I have three horses in the sequence I think will outrun their odds and have a good chance to balloon the exotic payoffs. They are Lideris, 12-1 on the morning line for the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup (Race 9); Just Call Kenny, 8-1 in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones (Race 10); and Bold Thunder, 8-1 in the Grade 3 Turf Monster (Race 11).

I’m going to play Just Call Kenny and Bold Thunder as “A” horses and Lideris as a “B.” I then will cross my fingers and hope I get to use Lideris, who should improve over his past two races but maybe not enough to win.

I’ve outlined below a $74 pick four, based on 50-cent tickets, and a $28 pick three on races 9 to 11, based on $1 tickets.

The one logical horse I am taking a stand against is Protonico in the Smarty Jones. He is not on any of my tickets.

Turf Amazon (Race 8)

A deep 12-horse field for this five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares.

My “A” horses are Jewel of a Cat, Joya Real, and Sweet Cassiopeia.

Jewel of a Cat, trained by Ben Perkins Jr., finished a close second to Free as a Bird in the Caress Stakes at Saratoga. Free as a Bird came back to win last Monday’s Smart N Fancy Stakes at Saratoga. She has now won five of her last six races.

Joya Real was impressive running by Allaboutcaroline – also in this race – in the stretch of the Fort Monmouth last time out. She is very sharp right now and is based at Parx with Kathleen DeMasi. It’s a big plus to be able to run out of your own stall and not have to ship.

Sweet Cassiopeia, trained by Bill Connelly, is 11 for 29 and has won two of her last three. She is switching back to turf after racing on the main track in her last three starts. She is my weakest “A.”

My “B” horses are Quality Lass, who is my top-rated speed in the field, and Allaboutcaroline, who looked like a winner until Joya Real whizzed by her in the Fort Monmouth.

I have two “C” horses on the entire ticket, including Heaven Knows Best in this race. She is very fast. I want to use her in case she gets away from Quality Lass.

Greenwood Cup (Race 9)

Micromanage was scratched by Todd Pletcher from Saturday’s Woodward at Saratoga to run this 1 1/2-mile main-track race.

Abraham has won two in a row for Bill Mott. He never has raced beyond 1 1/8 miles but looks like he can go farther.

They are my two “A” horses.

Lideris has made 19 of his 21 starts in Peru. He won the prestigious $500,000 Latino Americano in March. His two U.S. starts have been underwhelming, but that will help his price here.

Trainer Peter Miller has shipped him in from California and said Lideris is “getting acclimated and finding his way.”

Miller will make an equipment change, too.

“We’re going to add some blinkers,” he said, “and try to keep him more involved early. He’s been working really good in them.”

I will use Lideris as a “B.”

Smarty Jones (Race 10)

Albano is more seasoned than Protonico, and I will take a stand here that he can beat him. Albano, trained by Larry Jones, looked good romping in the Grade 3 Pegasus before finishing second to left-alone-on-the-lead Bayern in the Haskell.

I think Just Call Kenny, trained by Patrick McBurney, is ready to improve after racing between horses the final three-eighths of the Haskell when sixth. He might be good enough to win. This is his third start following a six-month layoff.

I will use Albano and Just Call Kenny as “A” runners.

Pletcher will add blinkers to Protonico for this race. In his last start, Protonico finished third in the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga, beaten a head by the eventual Travers winner V.E. Day. Let’s move on before I add him to the ticket.

Turf Monster (Race 11)

This is a terrific five-furlong turf sprint with an 11-horse field.

Doug O’Neill sends Grade 1 winner Private Zone in from California to make his turf debut and first start since he finished second in the Cigar Mile last November. He’s been working bullets and is an “A.”

My other three “A” horses all come out of the July 12 Parx Dash. They are Ben’s Cat, who closed from the clouds to win by a nose for King Leatherbury; Tightend Touchdown, who steadied on the turn, then re-rallied for trainer Jason Servis; and Bold Thunder, a speedball who missed the break, then rushed up to open a clear lead in mid-stretch before finishing fourth for Patricia Farro.

I will use Stormofthecentury, the sixth-place finisher in the Parx Dash as a “C.” He’s better than he ran that day, and he won the Turf Monster last year.