Notice of Action puts win streak on the line in Pennsylvania Nursery

Notice of Action puts his unbeaten streak on the line in Tuesday’s $100,000 Pennsylvania Nursery for statebred juveniles traveling seven furlongs at Parx Racing.

A son of Hoppertunity trained by Bobbi Anne Hawthorne, Notice of Action earned a 79 Beyer Speed Figure when winning his debut against fellow Pennsylvania-breds on Aug. 21 at Parx.

“I thought he might need a race the first time,” Hawthorne said after the colt’s second start, a gritty half-length victory over a wet track in the restricted Prince Lucky Stakes on the Pennsylvania Derby undercard.

Jockey Andy Hernandez “actually said he acted like he didn’t handle [the mud], but he got the job done,” Hawthorne said in the winner’s circle following the Prince Lucky.

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He made his final prep for the Pennsylvania Nursery in an open first-level allowance on Oct. 25 and drew away to win by five lengths with a 74 Beyer.

Notice of Action was Hawthorne’s lone purchase at last year’s Timonium yearling sale, selling for $15,000 after Hawthorne “liked the way he walked.”

He became her first stakes winner after the Prince Lucky. The Hawthorne barn continued its roll last week when Majestic Creed captured the Susquehanna Valley Stakes at Penn National.

Trainer Butch Reid counters with Uncle Heavy, a Social Inclusion colt who won his debut last month against open foes with a 74 Beyer.

“It was really a pleasant surprise,” Reid said. “I hadn’t even had him that long. He had been training down at Delaware with my brother Mark. He showed a lot of determination for a first-timer.”

Uncle Heavy stretches out a furlong on Tuesday.

“I think we’re just scratching the surface as far as distance goes,” Reid added. “He’s a big, long-striding horse, so we’re really looking forward to the seven-eighths.”

Trainer Scott Lake sends out the uncoupled duo of Heavy Pour and Twilight Dancer.

Heavy Pour won his maiden over Presque Isle Down’s Tapeta surface in last month’s Mark McDermott Stakes for Pennsylvania-breds at six furlongs. The son of Stormy Atlantic will race on dirt for the first time, but he is a half-brother to two dirt winners.

Twilight Dancer won’t have any issues with the surface as he graduated by six lengths here in his first run against restricted competition. Odds-on against Uncle Heavy two back, he was beaten only a head.

Kelly’s Kidz, a debut winner for John Servis on June 10, finished third, beaten 5 1/4 lengths behind Notice of Action, in his first start against winners last month.

Point Pelee races at Parx for the first time after finishing sixth following a pace-pressing try in Laurel’s Maryland Million Nursery on Oct. 14. The Great Notion colt figures to be on or near the early lead once again for trainer Bruce Kravets.

Our Andrew B, Ridley Park, and Capo all enter off maiden wins. Capo did so at Churchill Downs and was claimed out of that race by Jacinto Solis

Missileer, Factor U and Me In, Sharp Tones, and Don Tequilas complete the field.

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