As well as Hot Rod Charlie and Midnight Bourbon have performed this year, each has just one win on their 3-year-old résumé, neither one yet a Grade 1 winner. That could very well change Saturday at Parx Racing when Hot Rod Charlie and Midnight Bourbon meet for a fourth time this year in the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby. Those two head a field of eight expected to go postward following the announced scratch earlier in the week of Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit and the Friday withdrawal of Keepmeinmind. Hot Rod Charlie beat Midnight Bourbon by two lengths in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds in March. Hot Rod Charlie was third, Midnight Bourbon sixth in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in May. In the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park in July, Hot Rod Charlie crossed the line first, but was disqualified and placed last after veering in front of Midnight Bourbon, who clipped heels with Hot Rod Charlie, stumbled, and unseated jockey Paco Lopez. :: Bet the races with confidence on DRF Bets. You're one click away from the only top-rated betting platform fully integrated with exclusive data, analytics, and expert picks. The Pennsylvania Derby is somewhat a Plan B for Hot Rod Charlie, who was pointing to the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Aug. 21 at Del Mar as perhaps his stepping-stone to the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 6. But trainer Doug O’Neill felt Hot Rod Charlie needed more time and focused on the Pennsylvania Derby. “I’m so glad we’ve given him this time since the Haskell,” O’Neill said. “It makes me very optimistic for the Pennsylvania Derby that we’re going to see a big, solid run and then something great for November.” That Hot Rod Charlie has not won since the Louisiana Derby has been a catch-22 for O’Neill. The horse ran terrific in the Kentucky Derby when beaten one length by Medina Spirit, set torrid fractions and still ran a game second to division leader Essential Quality in the Belmont Stakes, and then had the unfortunate incident in the Haskell. “When the bills are rolling in those thoughts pop in your head a little bit,” O’Neill said. “When you’re not staring at a pile of bills we are all so darn proud of him, even those efforts when he didn’t get to the line first. He’s a blue-collar, hard-knocking horse, and we’re proud of every effort he’s had this year.” Flavien Prat rides Hot Rod Charlie from post 7. Midnight Bourbon came out of his Haskell incident to run a bang-up second to Essential Quality in the Travers. He was the speed in a paceless race and came within a neck of upsetting Essential Quality. :: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures.  “I expect him to run better than he did in the Travers,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “If that’s good enough, you have no control over how the other guy runs. I do think the one advantage Charlie has over us is the mile and an eighth over the mile and a quarter.” Ricardo Santana rides Midnight Bourbon from post 8. Speaker’s Corner will likely be the wise-guy horse in the Pennsylvania Derby. He won a very good maiden race last October at Belmont Park but was sidelined by an ankle injury and then a virus. He came off a 10-month layoff to win a seven-furlong, first-level allowance by 5 1/4 lengths, earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure on Aug. 14 at Saratoga. Bill Mott, the trainer of Speaker’s Corner, acknowledges his son of Street Sense is conceding experience to his rivals, but he doesn’t believe he’s conceding talent. “I’ve had a lot of confidence in this horse all along,” said Mott, who trains Speaker’s Corner for Godolphin. “Until he proves otherwise, I don’t think I have to take a backseat to anybody, but he’s got to do it on the racetrack. He’s got to prove it one way or the other. I’ve always really liked him and I think he’s got some class about him, but when you run in races like this that’s where you get all your answers. I hope he proves me right.” Speaker’s Corner breaks from post 3 under Jose Ortiz at 119 pounds, getting five pounds from both Hot Rod Charlie and Midnight Bourbon. A horse who could potentially fly under the radar at the windows is Americanrevolution. A New York-bred son of Constitution trained by Todd Pletcher, Americanrevolution has won three straight against restricted company, including the Albany Stakes by five lengths, proving 1 1/8 miles is not an issue. “He seems to be stepping up little by little,” Pletcher said. “There are no opportunities for New York-breds until the Empire Classic [on Oct. 30]. He’s doing well, we thought we’d take a shot.” Pletcher also sends out Bourbonic, the 72-1 upset winner of the Wood Memorial. Fulsome, trained by Brad Cox, has won three of his last four, including the Grade 3 Smarty Jones over this track. Weyburn, the Grade 3 Gotham winner, and I Am Redeemed, a Pennsylvania-bred stakes winner, complete the field. Keepmeinmind was taken out of the race Friday by trainer Robertino Diodoro, who said the horse had suffered an abscess in his left front foot. The Pennsylvania Derby goes as race 12 on a 13-race card that begins at 12:05 p.m. and includes the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion for 3-year-old fillies; the Grade 2, $300,000 Gallant Bob for sprinters 3 years old and up; the Grade 3 Turf Monster for male turf sprinters; and the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup for marathon male dirt runners.