Hawksmoor, Ultra Brat meet in Dr. James Penny Memorial

Hawksmoor and Ultra Brat are coming into the Grade 3 Dr. James Penny Memorial at Parx Racing on Tuesday from different directions. Ultra Brat turned in a career-best effort to win the Grade 3 Gallorette at Pimlico last out, while Hawksmoor has yet to put her best hoof forward in two starts this year.

A field of six was entered for the $200,000 Penny Memorial, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares. The lineup also includes Fifty Five, trained by Chad Brown, who won this race a year ago with Fourstar Crook; the promising Lift Up, who has won five of her last six, all for Michael Dickinson; Imply; and Truth in the Lies.

Hawksmoor put together an excellent 4-year-old campaign in 2017 for the Lael Stables of Roy and Gretchen Jackson and trainer Arnaud Delacour, winning the Grade 2 New York at Belmont Park and finishing second in a pair of Grade 1 races, the First Lady at Keeneland and the Matriarch at Del Mar.

This year has been a little different. In her season debut, Hawksmoor was run down on the lead and beaten a nose as the 3-10 favorite in the $100,000 Dahlia at Laurel Park. She was shipped to California for the Grade 1 Gamely in May but broke poorly and finished fifth of seven.

“For the first start at Laurel, she was a bit short,” Delacour said. “I wanted to give her a race as a stepping-stone for Santa Anita, and we got what we needed. I was excited to go to California.”

The Gamely was run at 1 1/8 miles on turf. At Santa Anita, the gate for that distance is set on the dirt track at the top of the turf stretch. The horses break on the main track before entering the grass course.

Hawksmoor stumbled badly leaving the gate and dropped much farther back than usual. She steadily advanced up the backstretch and on the far turn under Julien Leparoux, but tired in the stretch.

“She is a filly that races close to the pace, and she was far back and never relaxed,” Delacour said. “Julien was trying to get her to settle, but he told me she wouldn’t. I think it is a race to forget.”

Since the Gamely, Hawksmoor “has been breezing great,” according to Delacour.

“The way she breezes, I think she’s right there at the same level as last year,” he said.

Hawksmoor should be prominent throughout the Penny Memorial and is the horse to beat. Leparoux will be in to ride.

Ultra Brat won the Grade 3 Marshua’s River at Gulfstream Park over a “good” course for trainer Graham Motion in January. She finished 10th in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in her next start, then turned in an amazing effort to win the Gallorette on the Preakness card by more than 10 lengths.

The extremely soft footing likely helped Ultra Brat that day and hurt some of her rivals. Still, her 5-year-old season is off to an excellent start. Like Hawksmoor, she should be forwardly placed early. Jose Ortiz rides.

Lift Up scratched out of the Grade 3 Eatontown at Monmouth last Saturday in favor of this spot. She will be making her graded stakes debut but possesses a strong closing kick and would benefit if Hawksmoor and Ultra Brat go too quickly.

Fifty Five has finished a close second in both of her starts this season, the Plenty of Grace at Aqueduct and the Mount Vernon for statebreds at Belmont Park. She likely will do her best running late.