The Man extends winning streak to seven in Banjo Picker

The Man won his seventh straight race in the $114,750 Banjo Picker at Parx on Saturday, but it wasn't as easy as his six previous scores. Multiple graded stakes winner Favorite Tale, returning from a 17-month layoff, had his running shoes on and fought relentlessly with The Man for the final 2 1/2 furlongs of the six-furlong race.

Favorite Tale outbroke the field in the Banjo Picker, one of five stakes on the card for Pennsylvania-breds. He was joined from the outside on the backstretch, and the pair battled tooth and nail, with The Man proving a half-length best.

The Man paid $2.80 to win in the four-horse field, which turned into a match race between the top two. The Man was timed in 1:09.47 following fractions of 22.50 seconds, 44.69, and 56.72.

Yeah Rocky finished third, 9 1/2 lengths behind Favorite Tale.

The Man is owned by Natalie Baffert and Bernie Schiappe, trained by John Servis, and was ridden by Jorge Vargas Jr. The Man won a Santa Anita maiden race for trainer Bob Baffert in March 2015 and then didn't race again until he won a statebred first-level allowance at Penn National in February for Servis.

The Man has since won another Pennsylvania-bred allowance, an open allowance, and two open optional-claiming races. The Banjo Picker was his stakes debut.

Vargas is now 6 for 6 on The Man, who is 7 for 10 with earnings of $293,750.

Favorite Tale ran very well while making his first start since March 2016. He had arthroscopic knee surgery after that allowance race. Now 6, Favorite Tale is an eight-time winner and an earner of $920,266.

His victories include the Grade 2 Smile Sprint and $200,000 Fabulous Strike in 2015 and the Grade 3 Gallant Bob in 2014. He finished third in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland to Runhappy and Private Zone after breaking from post 14.

Garofalo Memorial: Grand Prix wire to wire

Grand Prix, a 3-year-old daughter of Tale of the Cat, went wire to wire to defeat older Pennsylvania-bred fillies and mares in the $107,750 Teresa Garofalo Memorial Stakes.

Grand Prix, the 5-2 third choice in the betting, sprinted clear early in the six-furlong race, then was never seriously challenged while winning by 1 1/2 lengths. She paid $7.80 and was timed in 1:10.06. The race was run in the rain over a fast track.

Grand Prix is trained by Gary Mandella, was ridden by Jose Ferrer, and is owned by Hank Nothhaft. She has been based at Delaware Park and Parx since May.

She won the $101,000 New Start Stakes over statebred 3-year-old fillies at Penn National on the Penn Mile card June 3.

Mama Jones, a 16-1 shot, raced forwardly throughout and held second by a head over the late-running Power of Snunner. Discreet Senorita, the slight 2-1 favorite over Power of Snunner, was bumped and squeezed back at the start. She rallied along the inside into the stretch but was caught late for third by Power of Snunner, who finished a head in front of her.

Grand Prix, who was bred by her owner, is now 4 for 13 with earnings of $207,750.