Instant Replay seeks better trip in Smarty Jones Stakes
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Instant Replay and Tip Top Thomas will meet again in the $200,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing on Tuesday. The 3-year-old colts ran against one another in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby last month when Tip Top Thomas dueled all the way around the track in a gate-to-wire victory for trainer Todd Pletcher while Instant Replay finished three lengths back in fifth.
Tip Top Thomas has been forwardly placed in all of his five career starts and should be the pacesetter again on Tuesday. Outside contenders Fact and Light Forever could challenge him for the early lead in the field of seven, but Pletcher’s colt has already proven that he's capable of fighting for it.
While Tip Top Thomas dug in to earn his first stakes victory by a half-length in the Indiana Derby, Instant Replay had to overcome a stumble at the start and traveled wide around the far turn. The two runners may be more evenly matched than their first meeting suggests.
“He kind of raced a little wide throughout last time, but he was drawing outside and that’s just how the race unfolded,” trainer Brad Cox said.
Instant Replay managed to win the $200,000 Bathhouse Row at Oaklawn Park while traveling wide in April, but the trip was too taxing at Horseshoe Indianapolis. He drew the rail for the Smarty Jones, which Cox hopes will allow him to stalk along the inside, as he did winning the $300,000 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park in May.
“Hopefully, further inside this time, maybe we can save a little more ground this time and finish up,” Cox said.
At 2-1 and 5-2 on the morning line, respectively, Tip Top Thomas and Instant Replay have a distinct advantage over their five rivals. With Tip Top Thomas out in front for Pletcher and Instant Replay chasing on the inside for Cox, there may not be much room for others to get involved in the closing stages.
Hypnus, a colt trained by Kenny McPeek, is shipping to Parx in search of an improved outing. Once a Triple Crown hopeful, he took a step back after the Road to the Kentucky Derby and earned a solid victory in a $127,000 allowance at Churchill Downs in June.
McPeek tried him in the $135,000 Curlin at Saratoga last month, but he failed to fire and finished last by 16 1/4 lengths.
“He’s shown flashes of top-level talent,” McPeek said. “His last race was a bit disappointing. We thought he would run a lot better and we had plotted toward that race. He didn’t run well, but we took the blinkers off. We think it’s time he runs without them.”
Analog Jones, a 12-1 outsider trained by Butch Reid, is cross-entered in the $75,000 PTHA President’s Sprint at Parx Monday. Reid said that he is leaning toward running him in the Smarty Jones and will make his final decision on Monday morning.
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