Fabulous Strike Stakes draws eight
A field of eight, including a David Jacobson-trained entry, has been entered for the $200,000 Fabulous Strike Stakes at Penn National on Thanksgiving Eve. The card also includes a pair of $100,000 stakes, the Swatara and the Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies.
The six-furlong Fabulous Strike is carded as race 4 with a 7:27 p.m. Eastern post time. The 1 1/16-mile Swatara is race 3 and the Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies, a six-furlong sprint for Pennsylvania-bred 2-year-old fillies, is race 2 with a post time of 6:32 p.m.
The three stakes are linked by a pick three and rolling daily doubles. A 50-cent pick four begins on race 1, a first-level statebred allowance for fillies and mares.
The Jacobson entry consists of Stallwalkin' Dude and Chief Lion. Both are also nominated to the Grade 3, $200,000 Fall Highweight Handicap at Aqueduct on Thanksgiving Day. Last year, Jacobson ran Chief Lion in the Fabulous Strike and Stallwalkin' Dude in the Fall Highweight.
The entry is the 2-1 morning line favorite. Stallwalkin' Dude, who has Irad Ortiz Jr. named to ride, drew post 1 on Friday, while Chief Lion will start from post 6 under Martin Garcia.
The ultra-quick Chief Lion is one for two at Penn National. He won a third-level optional claimer at the Grantville, Pa., track in May 2016 and then was third in the Fabulous Strike, beaten three-quarters of a length, after cutting out a blistering pace.
Also entered is Favorite Tale, who won the Fabulous Strike in 2015, 25 days after finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland. Based at Parx with trainer Lupe Preciado, Favorite Tale has only started three times the past two years.
:: Watch Wednesday's Penn National card live, beginning 6:05 p.m. ET
He finished seventh in the Grade 2 Phoenix at Keeneland on Oct. 6. Favorite Tale will break from post 5 under Paco Lopez.
Other top contenders include Blu Moon Ace and Awesome Banner.
Blue Moon Ace has won three of his last four starts and just missed in the Grade 3 De Francis Dash at Laurel Park in September. Most recently, he won the Maryland Million Sprint at Laurel.
Trained by Kevin Patterson, Blu Moon Ace will be ridden by Julian Pimentel from post 3.
Awesome Banner was beaten a nose at 16-1 in the Phoenix. In his last race, he finished last of nine in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler at Belmont Park.
Trained by Kenneth Decker, he drew post 8. Feargal Lynch will ride.
The field is completed by Gold Man, Flashy Kyem, and Twotwentyfive A.
The Swatara field of eight includes Tommy Macho, Fear the Cowboy, and John Jones.
Tommy Macho, who will be ridden by Luis Saez, will be making his first start around two turns in a year but did win the Grade 3 Discovery at Aqueduct in the fall of 2015.
The Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies has 10 entrants. The likely favorite is Bronx Beauty, winner of the Colleen at Monmouth Park in August. Indian Beauty comes into the race off a six-length debut win.
