Math Wizard upsets Pennsylvania Derby at 31-1

BENSALEM, Pa. – Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. spent a good part of Monday morning trying to convince owner John Fanelli not to ship Math Wizard from South Florida to Philadelphia for the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.

Good thing Fanelli didn’t listen.

In a result that was befitting a race that lost its morning-line favorite Maximum Security on Tuesday and saw its actual favorite, Improbable blow the break, Math Wizard, the second-longest shot in the field at 31-1, rallied from last to win the Pennsylvania Derby a neck over Mr. Money.

It was a length back to Preakness winner War of Will in third. Improbable, who reared up once and then had his head turned when the doors actually opened, finished fourth, a neck in front of Spun to Run. The top five finishers were separated by 1 1/2 lengths. It was 25 lengths back to Shanghai Superfly, a maiden, in last.

In a way, the result actually benefits Maximum Security in his bid to be 3-year-old champion. Last Dec. 20, Maximum Security beat Math Wizard by 10 3/4 lengths in a maiden $16,000 claiming race at Gulfstream Park. Maximum Security, a two-time Grade 1 winner, scratched from the Pennsylvania Derby due to a bout of colic.

Fanelli claimed Math Wizard for $25,000 – he said he won a seven-way shake – on Jan. 31 at Gulfstream Park. Though Math Wizard had since finished second in the Ohio Derby and third in the Indiana Derby, this was his first win for these connections which include Joseph Tagliola, Daniel Vitelli, Taylor Bassett, Ioanna Zoumas, Wynwood Thoroughbreds, and Joseph, the trainer.

Still unsure that he was going to send Math Wizard up for the race, Joseph needed a jockey when Edgard Zayas – whom he named at entry time – stayed at Gulfstream. Irad Ortiz Jr. picked up the mount.

Joseph said Math Wizard had such a strong workout last Sunday at Gulfstream that he wasn’t sure how the horse would recover. He told Fanelli during a 2 1/2-hour phone call Monday that perhaps the Remington Park Derby on Sept. 29 would be a better spot, though Joseph soured on that race when he heard how big a field it was coming up.

Fanelli, who grew up 30 minutes from Parx, said he was willing to put up the $2,000 entry fee on Monday to buy a few more days to make a decision. He also lined up a Federal Express plane that left on Thursday.

Math Wizard jogged over the track on Friday and then had his coming out party on Saturday.

The complexion of the Pennsylvania Derby changed when Improbable, under Mike Smith, had his head turned when the doors opened and broke last.

No one was really anxious for the lead, but Mr. Money, under Gabriel Saez, eventually took it. Racing a bit rank early, he finally calmed down while setting fractions of 24.50 for the quarter, 49.60 for the half-mile, and 1:13.44 for the opening six furlongs. War of Will was second, with Spun to Run three wide in third. Improbable, who was climbing early, settled into fourth while Math Wizard had only the maiden Shanghai Superfly beat down the backside.

Ortiz had Math Wizard on the inside, but he didn’t want to go inside of Improbable. Entering the far turn, Ortiz guided Math Wizard to the outside and he was gaining on the pack, with Mr. Money, War of Will, and Spun to Run still all in close proximity and Improbable right behind them.

Five wide and in the clear in upper stretch, Math Wizard began picking up the leaders and he was able to outfinish Mr. Money to the wire.

Math Wizard a son of Alogrithms, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.94 and returned $64.20 to win.

“At the half-mile I made a move outside of [Improbable] a little early and he was responding really well,” Ortiz said. “When he changed leads in the stretch, he took off.”

Joseph said he was overwhelmed when Math Wizard hit the wire. It was his first graded stakes victory in his first try in a Grade 1 race.

“I still don’t believe it,” Joseph said. “I would have walked away happy with a third or fourth. It’s amazing.”

Joseph said Math Wizard probably benefitted from having seven weeks since his last race. His previous two starts had come with only three weeks between races.

Fanelli said he would “one hundred percent” consider the Breeders’ Cup Classic for Math Wizard.

Mr. Money came in having won four consecutive Grade 3 stakes. Bret Calhoun, the trainer of Mr. Money, said he wasn’t surprised his horse ended up on the lead knowing Improbable’s tendency to break slowly.

“I wouldn’t expect him to go in 49 and get beat like that,” Calhoun said. “I kind of expected him to separate when they turned for home. He ran all the way to the wire, but he never did draw off like he did in his prior races.”

Smith said he let Improbable settle down after the poor start. He said that he could have tried to wheel him to the outside but felt “he would have run off.”

Smith said Improbable still wasn’t giving him everything in the lane.

“If he had just run, he would have won,” Smith said.