Little Often Anni goes for third straight in Tuesday turf feature

Despite the fact Little Often Anni lost 24 straight races between September 2011 and mid-June of this season, trainer Louis Cocelli didn’t give up on the 8-year-old mare. His patience was rewarded when she delivered back-to-back victories on turf, including a 16-1 upset going 1 1/8 miles July 8.

But it may be too much to expect a third straight powerful performance when Little Often Anni steps up in class for Tuesday’s $46,000 turf feature at Parx Racing. She is one of two fillies and mares entered for the $25,000 optional-claiming tag in a 1 1/16-mile race that is also open to second-level allowance runners.

The other sharp horse who might be wise to avoid is the Monmouth shipper Almost an Angel. Although she missed by less than two lengths against similar company last time out going a mile, she is slated to break from post 8, which has produced just two winners from 40 starters in turf races this meet at Parx.

Viable alternatives include Harbingerofthings, making her first start off a $40,000 claim for New York-based trainer Bruce Levine; Cici N Red, 2 for 2 over the local turf course; and Get’m Up Pronto, stepping up following a daylight win over conditioned claimers.

KEY CONTENDERS

Harbingerofthings (Last 3 Beyers: 70-78-70)

Returns to a class level where she won last fall at Delaware Park.

Formulator Fact: Levine’s record with horses he claimed for himself, making their first start following a break of 31 to 60 days, is 3 for 8 (38 percent) with 75 percent in the money.

Ceci N Red (Last 3 Beyers: 39-62-83)

Cleared her second allowance condition at Gulfstream Park in April and makes first start on local turf since winning at this same level last October.

Formulator Fact: Patricia Farro is 11 percent with turf route runners back from a 31- to 60-day layoff but 1 for 2 with this horse.

Get’m Up Pronto (Last 3 Beyers: 78-61-43)

Formulator Fact: Bernie Houghton is 4 for 11 (36 pecent) with $5.29 return on investment with last-out winners switching from claiming to allowance races.

Almost an Angel (Last 3 Beyers: 78-55-77)

High-percentage trainer Bobby Dibona is 24 percent (8 for 34) shipping into Parx but 0 for 4 on turf. His turf runners who finished in the money last time out back in less than 30 days are just 1 for 9.

Little Often Anni (Last 3 Beyers: 76-71-63)

Cocelli’s overall five-year record is 4 for 63 the past five years, with all four wins by this mare, who was a well-beaten seventh last time she tried this level in early June.