Grasshoppin upsets Roanoke on Pennsylvania-bred showcase card

The veteran campaigner Grasshoppin appeared in the starting gate for the $100,000 Roanoke Stakes for the third time on Saturday afternoon, and made it a charm, posting an upset two-length victory in the event at Parx Racing.

The Roanoke was one of five $100,000 stakes for Pennsylvania-breds on Saturday's 11-race card, made up entirely of statebred contests.

Grasshoppin, a Cat Thief gelding who races as a homebred for Michael Jester, finished third in the 2015 Roanoke, and in last year's edition of the race. His victory in this year's renewal was his second career stakes victory after posting his breakthrough in the Lyman Stakes at Parx in April. He also owns six stakes placings. Trained by Claudio Gonzalez, the gelding owns a career record of 10-8-5 from 46 starts and has pushed his earnings to $580,930.

In the Roanoke, Grasshoppin ($27) and Edwin Rivera sat a half-length off Navy Commander as that one set moderate fractions of 23.62 seconds for the quarter-mile and 47.41 seconds for the half. Grasshoppin began edging up around the turn and poked a head in front in upper stretch, quickly disposing of his foe and powering on to win by two lengths. He stopped the clock in 1:44.42 for the 1 1/16 miles on a wet-fast track.

Prince of Hempt came on to be second by a length over Ruby Bleu, who was another 3 1/4 lengths clear of favored Someday Jones.

In other stakes action on the card:

• Rose Tree ($10) opened a three-length lead in upper stretch, then held off Imply by a neck to win the Mrs. Penny Stakes for fillies and mares, one of two stakes that was taken off the turf and moved to the wet-fast main track. This was the second consecutive stakes victory for Rose Tree ($10), who was ridden by Andrew Wolfsont for Buttonwood Farm and trained Jonathan Sheppard. She previously won the Northern Fling Stakes on Presque Isle's synthetic track. Imply was second in the Mrs. Penny for the second straight year.

• Zipper's Hero went wire to wire for a three-length win in the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial Stakes, posting her third consecutive victory. Zipper's Hero ($4) is trained by Edward Coletti Jr. for Mario Mangini; Johan Rosado was aboard.
• The Man forged his way to victory in a hotly contested edition of the Banjo Picker Sprint Stakes. The Man ($4.60) and Jorge Vargas Jr., led by a half-length after a half mile in 45.36 seconds, with less than two lengths separating the entire field of six. He never relinquished his lead, holding sway by a half-length at the wire over Pop Keenan, with Midtowncharlybrown another three-quarters back. John Servis trains The Man for Natalie Baffert.
• She's Chubs ($26.40), making her first start since September 2017, as well as her stakes debut, sprung an upset in the Power by Far Stakes, a sprint that was taken off the turf. The mare is trained by Scott Lake for John and Rebecca Taylor, and was ridden by Roberto Rosado.