McClay has four contenders in two statebred stakes

Owner and breeder Thomas McClay is well positioned for a big night at Penn National on Friday. McClay has three of the eight 3-year-old fillies in the $75,000 New Start Stakes and fast debut winner Amplified in the $75,000 Danzig Stakes for 3-year-olds. Both stakes are restricted to Pennsylvania-breds and will be contested at six furlongs.

The Danzig, which goes as race 6 at 8:16 p.m. Eastern, looks like the better race from a wagering standpoint, with five of the colts and geldings coming off performances with Beyer Speed Figures between 78 ad 84. The top number belongs to Amplified, a son of Smarty Jones who defeated open-company maidens by 1 1/2 lengths in his first start May 17.

His competition includes the Belmont Park-based Instructor Kunu, who has crushed Pennsylvania-breds by a combined margin of 16 lengths in his two most recent starts; Flagndini and Love Rules, separated by a head as the one-two finishers in a first-level allowance for open company at Parx in early May; and Blitzensmajikreign, who dominated open-company first-level allowance runners at Parx two starts ago before finishing a good second going two turns against older horses two weeks ago.

McClay’s three-filly entry in the New Start (race 1) is headed by last-out open-company allowance winners Kazuri and Capar Girl. His third horse, Brennan, will be making her first start since last October.

The prime threats to McClay’s trio are Rockin Jojo, who beat Kazuri by 1 1/2 lengths in last fall’s Blue Mountain Juvenile, and C R S Angels, who returns to the main track, where she won back-to-back starts at Parx by a combined 14 1/4 lengths after a one-race experiment on turf.

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DANZIG S. (RACE 6)

KEY CONTENDERS

Amplified (Beyer: 84)

◗ He looked good scoring from slightly off the pace against open-company maidens at Parx. The runner-up, Roxbury N Overton, flattered Amplified by returning to trounce maidens with a 93 Beyer last Sunday.

Instructor Kunu (Last 3 Beyers: 78-81-25)

◗ Trained by John Terranova, Instructor Kunu was second as a maiden in last fall’s Pennsylvania Nursery. He has dominated statebreds in back-to-back starts at Parx, leading wire to wire to clear his maiden and first-level allowance condition.

Blitzensmajikreign (Last 3 Beyers: 80-79-74)

◗ Dangerous on the drop to statebred company after three consecutive top-two finishes against open company. Trainer Marcus Zulueta has been hitting at a 24 percent clip in 2014-15 with horses switching from routes to sprints.

Flagndini (Last 3 Beyers: 78-70-71)

◗ He narrowly prevailed as the 6-5 favorite in a first-level allowance against open company at Parx. He was a daylight winner the last time he faced Pennsylvania-breds in March.

NEW START S. (RACE 1)

KEY CONTENDERS

Kazuri (Last 3 Beyers: 67-50-56)

◗ She makes the second start of her form cycle following a wire-to-wire win against open company. She was a good second in the Blue Mountain Juvenile locally last November.

Rockin Jojo (Last 3 Beyers: 61-72-72)

◗ She is back with statebreds for the first time since winning the Blue Mountain Juvenile. She may be sitting on a peak race in the third start of her form cycle.

Capar Girl (Last 3 Beyers: 69-53-71)

◗ The last time she faced statebreds, this filly romped by eight lengths. She came from off the pace to win her latest start against open company.