Mixed Up a star of statebred day

Philadelphia Park hosts Pennsylvanias Day at the Races on Saturday, an 11-race card exclusively for horses bred in the Keystone State. It offers 10 stakes races worth a combined $1 million.

The Smarty Jones Classic is the richest race at $125,000. The Flatterer Hurdle Handicap goes for $75,000. The other eight stakes are worth $100,000 each.

The Flatterer, at 2 1/16 miles over the National fences, attracted Mixed Up, a multiple Grade 1 winner.

Mixed Up, trained by Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard, earned Grade 1 victories in the New York Turf Writers Handicap at Saratoga last summer and in the Royal Chase Handicap at Keeneland in April.

Most recently, the 8-year-old gelding ran sixth on the flat in the Da Hoss Stakes at Colonial Downs.

We just wanted to get a run into him to keep him tight, knowing hes facing a huge impost and a tough race, Sheppard said.

Under the handicap conditions, Mixed Up carries 164 pounds, 14 more than in the Royal Chase.

Hes not a very big horse, Sheppard said. I wish he didnt have so much weight to give, but you cant really complain because hes earned it.

After the New York Turf Writers Cup, Mixed Up took on McDynamo, the steeplechase champion, in his last three starts of the year. He ended the year with a third to McDynamo in the Breeders Cup Steeplechase and a fourth to him in the Colonial Cup.

We felt he deserved a chance in there and he was not disgraced, Sheppard said. To be honest, we didnt go into the Breeders Cup and the Colonial Cup with a maximum amount of confidence.

Danielle Hodsdon will ride as usual.

Sheppard also sends out two up-and-coming steeplechase prospects in John Law and Sparkled. All three race uncoupled.

Mrs. Penny: Redaspen favored

Redaspen, a proven stakes runner in open company, looms a short-priced favorite in the Mrs. Penny for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

A 5-year-old trained by Tim Woolley, Redaspen ran at Monmouth Park the last two times, winning the Politely Stakes and then making a strong late run to miss by a half-length in the Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes.

Redaspen turned it up another notch this year, Woolley said. Shes been very competitive. We think shell be a very big force on Saturday.

After the Eatontown on June 16, Woolley set his sights on this spot.

I didnt want to get too greedy and throw her right back into another Grade 3 race with this statebred stakes sitting right there, Woolley said.

Smarty Jones: Delaware River sharp

Trainer William Campbell sends out Delaware River and Grey Dorian in the Smarty Jones. They are uncoupled in the wagering.

Delaware River, 6, has been in the best form of his life in his last three races, when Horacio Karamanos started riding. The gelding has two wins and a nose loss in that span, winning the Watchmans Warning Stakes at Penn National last time out by 5 3/4 lengths.

The last three races under Horacio have been unreal, Campbell said. They have been some explosive races.

* Speechifying puts a three-race winning streak on the line in the Ga Hai for filly and mare sprinters.

* Whos Happy, trained by Woolley, has won four in a row heading into the Northern Fling for filly and mare routers.

* Banjo Picker won the 2005 Grade?3 Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct, and will bring that back class into the Devils Honor for sprinters.

* Power by Leigh will be very tough in the Captain My Captain after posting five straight Beyer Speed Figures of 90 or higher.

* R. Earl, second to Delaware River at Penn National last out, moves back onto the turf for the Nepal.

* Cantrel, a promising 3-year-old filly sprinter trained by Scott Lake, has the rail in the Ambassador of Luck.

* Makin Peace, never off the board in six turf sprints at Philadelphia Park, will be the one to catch in the Bob Camac.