Fille d'Esprit, Chub Wagon matchup highlight of four stakes card

Win machines Fille d’Esprit and Chub Wagon battle Monday in Parx’s Roamin Rachel for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs.

The Roamin Rachel is one of four $100,000 stakes on the program, along with the Liberty Bell for 3-year-olds and up at 6 1/2 furlongs, the Bucks County for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf, and the Salvatore DeBunda PTHA President’s Cup for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

The four stakes conclude the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Championship Series. The turf races might be affected by prolonged rain expected in the area beginning Friday.

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Fille d’Esprit has won 10 of 20 starts, including three stakes in 2022. Trained by John Robb, Fille d’Esprit most recently ran second to millionaire Frank’s Rockette in Charles Town’s Pink Ribbon.

“At one point, it looked like she might win,” said Robb. “We got by her a bit, but that horse took off again.”

Robb isn’t as much concerned about a wet track as the overall Parx surface for Fille d’Esprit, who is based at Laurel Park.

“It’s just a totally different track to what we’ve been running and training over,” Robb said.

Chub Wagon has captured 12 of 14 races, with her two losses in consecutive editions of the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial at Parx. Trained by Guadalupe Preciado for her first 13 starts, Chub Wagon made her first start for trainer Regina Brennan last month in the Garofalo. She was in behind horses before rallying for second.

Chub Wagon receives blinkers for the first time on Sunday. She scratched from last week’s Plum Pretty to await this spot.

Fille d’Esprit and Chub Wagon will likely face eight others. Trainer Graham Motion said Friday he is “90 percent likely” to scratch The Grass Is Blue.

Kalypso, winner of the Grade 1 La Brea last December at Santa Anita, was transferred from Bob Baffert to Steve Asmussen during the spring, and enters following a runner-up effort behind Fille d’Esprit in the Seeking the Pearl at Colonial Downs.

Oxana finished third behind Chub Wagon in the Garofalo, then finished second in Pimlico’s restricted Shine Again on Sept. 10.

Dr. B finished second to subsequent Grade 1 winner Goodnight Olive in a third-level allowance at Saratoga, then overpowered allowance foes at Parx last month.

“She’s moved to a new level,” trainer Butch Reid said. “She got sick on us last year. It took her a long time to get over it.”

My Beautiful Belle has hit the board in her last four, and won a second-level allowance by 6 3/4 lengths with a career-high Beyer Figure of 87 at Monmouth Park last out.

“She outdid herself,” said trainer Chuck Spina. “She could have won by a dozen. Off that race, I thought she deserved a spot against better.”

Spina said he is wary that My Beautiful Belle might bounce on Sunday off that effort.

Liberty Bell Stakes

Fortheluvofbourbon seeks his fifth consecutive victory when he runs in the Liberty Bell. Trained by Michael Pino, Fortheluvofbourbon has won 10 of 16 starts at Parx, including the Banjo Picker Sprint on Aug. 22.

Pino said that Fortheluvofbourbon’s improvement has come with maturity.

“He used to get excited in the paddock,” Pino said. “He’s more settled, and it’s a big help.”

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Although Fortheluvofbourbon has won twice over wet tracks, Pino said he prefers fast going.

Beren, trained by Reid, finished second behind Fortheluvofbourbon in the Banjo Picker. Usually on or near the lead, Beren rallied from fifth in that six-furlong race.

“He got shut off out of the gate,” said Reid. “He was not used to being where he was. He finished nicely once he got clear.”

Reid said Beren will be closer to the pace on Sunday and that he is hoping for a wet track. Beren has won 4 of 5 on off going.

New York invader Repo Rocks might crash the party. Repo Rocks ran third behind multiple Grade 1 winner Life Is Good in the Grade 2 John A. Nerud on July 2 at Belmont Park, then finished second in Saratoga’s restricted Tale of the Cat on Aug. 10.

Bucks County Stakes

Eons seeks his third stakes victory this year in the Bucks County. Trainer Arnaud Delacour said it was unlikely Eons would start on dirt, but that the gelding has run well with give in the ground and wouldn’t mind soft going on turf.

Tax only starts on dirt, according to trainer Danny Gargan.

“If it comes off, I expect him to win,” said Gargan.

Tax was beaten 18 1/4 lengths in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga in his last race. He was off Lasix for that race but will use the diuretic in the Bucks County. He has won his last two starts on Lasix.

Wolfie’s Dynaghost, the recent winner of Colonial’s Bert Allen on turf, looks like the controlling speed on turf. He has won twice on wet dirt.

Salvatore DeBunda PTHA Cup

Deciding Vote is the overall MATCH leader, and he’ll look to cement the title in the PTHA Cup. Trained by Edward Graham, Deciding Vote finished sixth on firm turf in the Old Nelson at Colonial on Aug. 16. Several of her best performances have come on wet turf.

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Lake Lucerne, the 2-1 morning-line favorite, was third in the All Along on Sept. 10. The Godolphin homebred breaks from the outside post.