McPeek sends two-pronged attack for Cathryn Sophia

Trainer Kenny McPeek will attack a competitive renewal of the $200,000 Cathryn Sophia on Saturday at Parx Racing when he sends out a seasoned stakes winner in Band of Gold and an up-and-coming runner in Wonder Ride.

The fillies are part of a field of eight that includes Gun Song, winner of the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan; Impel, who was second last out in the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks; Just Be Quiet, runner-up in the Iowa Oaks; and Courbe, who comes off a stakes-placing at Saratoga.

The Cathryn Sophia, which is the local stepping-stone to the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion, is one of six stakes on Saturday’s Smarty Jones Day card. The races are worth a cumulative $725,000.

Band of Gold, who won the Martha Washington Stakes in February at Oaklawn, has been working at Saratoga. She last raced July 6 and was fourth by a length in the Indiana Oaks.

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“She ran good,” McPeek said. “She had kind of a little bit of a troubled trip. I thought if she had a little cleaner trip, she could have won. But she ran well. She’s been a very solid filly, and we’ve been real pleased with her season overall.”

Emmanuel Esquivel has the mount from post 5 for Dixiana Farms.

Wonder Ride, who was third in last year’s Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga, has made two starts since the effort. She was 10th in a first-level allowance in May at Churchill Downs and seventh in another race at the same level and track June 1.

“We weren’t thrilled with her first two runs of the season, but she’s trained really, really good,” McPeek said. “I think as a filly we’d like to try to get more black type with her, and we’re going to give her a chance to do that.”

The race Wonder Ride exits has become a key one, with winner Miss Justify coming back to win the Wilton at Saratoga. In addition, third-place finisher Mink’s Palace came back to win a first-level allowance at Churchill and sixth-place finisher America’s Vow accounted for a first-level allowance at Saratoga.

Wonder Ride will be looking to get two turns Saturday.

“She’ll handle it fine,” McPeek said of the distance. “Her mother won at two turns. [Her sire] Gun Runner won at two turns. She’s trained like she can handle it.”

McPeek was the trainer of Wonder Ride’s dam, Wonderment, who was a Grade 3 winner of nearly $400,000.

Wonder Ride races for her breeder, Walking L Thoroughbreds, and will break from post 8 under Paco Lopez.

Mayor’s Mile

The names of the stakes races Saturday at Parx read like an old set list for John Servis, as he trained both Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones and Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia.

Servis will see stakes action on the special card in the $75,000 Mayor’s Mile with Adero, who could go favored. The horse won a local prep by more than four lengths July 23 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96.

“He’s a very honest horse, he really is,” Servis said. “He tries every time. He’s been very consistent and he’s doing great. I think he’s going to run really well.”

Adero drew post 3 against a field that includes Film Star, winner of the Lure last out at Saratoga. Adero tracked the pace last time en route to his win for Carguys Racing.

“He’ll do pretty much anything,” Servis said. “But looking at the race, I think if we sit off the pace a little bit and get a clean trip, we’ll be competitive.”

Servis recently visited with jockey Stewart Elliott, the Remington Park-based rider who 20 years ago piloted Smarty Jones to victory in the Kentucky Derby.

“Stewart’s son Christopher started riding here, so Stew was here about two weeks ago and we got to spend some time together,” Servis said. “It was fun. We had a good time reminiscing.”

◗ My Buddy B drops from a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt at Saratoga for the $75,000 State Representative’s Stakes. Twisted Ride, third in the Vanderbilt, was cross-entered for this spot but will instead run in the Grade 1 Forego on Saturday at Saratoga.

◗ The unbeaten Sunny Breeze will seek the fourth win of his career in the $75,000 Salvatore DeBunda Sprint for 3-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs. His chief rivals include Practically Dark, a winner of his last two starts at Gulfstream who should be well-suited for the distance Saturday, according to his trainer, Saffie Joseph Jr.

◗ Jean Valjean, who has run the best two races of his career since moving to turf in June, seeks to make it three turf sprint victories in a row in the $100,000 Parx Dash. He must defeat a field that includes Grooms All Bizness, who has won two turf sprint stakes in his last two starts, both at Monmouth Park.

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