Fulsome looks to bounce back in Smarty Jones Stakes
Fulsome had a three-race win streak snapped with a third in the Indiana Derby, but trainer Brad Cox believes the combination of a slow pace and a sticky racetrack may have worked against the Juddmonte homebred.
“I’m not sure he handled the track,” Cox said. “There was a little rain, and the jock came back and said he might not have taken to it.”
Despite that defeat, Fulsome was installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the Grade 3, $300,000 Smarty Jones on Tuesday at Parx Racing. Nine entered, but Indian Lake withdraws to await the Virginia Derby at Colonial. Antigravity and Doubleoseven also scratched. Trainer John Servis said Friday that The Jones Boy was to also scratch and run in an allowance race at Parx on Wednesday. Servis changed course, and The Jones Boy will run in the Smarty Jones.
Ridin With Biden, trained by Butch Reid, finished a game second in the Grade 3 Dwyer last out.
“He’s always shown a lot of ability, but he’s got some mental issues,” Reid said. “He’s a little tough to train. He used to be a rogue on the racetrack. He’s a little bit of a stall walker too, and we got that under control. I think he’s put on 50 pounds even since his last start. I’m excited about running him.”
The King Cheek, claimed for $25,000 at Delaware last September, has blossomed into a stakes winner this year for trainer Jamie Ness. The New York-bred son of Laoban has won at distances ranging from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles and is 3 for 3 at Parx.
“I was not sure where I was going to run him,” Ness said. “When the racing office called me and said he’d fit fine, I put him in. He worked great coming into it, so they’re going to have to come and catch us.”
Fast Bob and Alonzo also entered.
Cathryn Sophia
With 2020 champion 3-year-old filly Vequist dealing with a setback that will require her to scratch from Tuesday’s $150,000 Cathryn Sophia Stakes and miss at least the rest of season, Leader of the Band could be the horse to beat in the mile and 70-yard race for 3-year-old fillies.
A daughter of Bandbox, Leader of the Band is campaigned by Servis, who trained Cathryn Sophia to win the Kentucky Oaks in 2016.
“It’s pretty cool,” Servis said about running in the Cathryn Sophia. “To be fortunate enough to win the Oaks is one thing, and then to be able to come back and run in a race like this and have a horse that’s competitive is even better.”
Leader of the Band earned a career-best 88 Beyer Speed Figure when winning the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks and has never been off the board in seven starts.
Marion Francis, Lovely Ride, Flight to Shanghai, Bold Tactics, and Office Party complete the field.
Parx Summer Sprint
Beren and Privet Moon loom the major contenders in the $100,000 Parx Summer Sprint for 3-year-olds at six furlongs.
Reid chose this spot for Beren instead of Monday’s Storm Cat against Pennsylvania-breds because “we decided we wanted to stay against the straight 3-year-olds, and I think he’s a better sprinter.”
“We’ve got our eye on the Gallant Bob,” he said.
A three-time stakes-winner, Beren recently finished seventh in the nine-furlong Curlin at Saratoga.
Privet Moon has won 3 of 5 starts. He comes off a head victory in an allowance sprint at Ellis Park.
* The Grade 3, $200,000 Parx Dash, originally carded for Tuesday, has been postponed until Aug. 31. Parx will be off the turf on Tuesday.