Ocarson brings consistency to sprint

Based on their most recent races five days apart last month, there's little to distinguish stablemates Puddy de Luca and Ocarson.

Both 4-year-old fillies, trained by Butch Reid and ridden by Frankie Pennington, earned 83 Beyer Speed Figures for good performances in dirt sprints.

Presumably, Pennington got his choice of which filly to ride in Monday's featured ninth race at Philadelphia Park. So it's noteable that Pennington will be aboard Ocarson, who has a habit of finishing second more often than she wins, rather than last-out winner Puddy de Luca in the third-level optional $40,000 claimer at six furlongs.

Although Ocarson has never been worse than third in nine lifetime starts, she has five runner-up finishes, compared with just three wins, and was the beaten favorite against similar competition to what she faces Monday going 6 1/2 furlongs on March 21.

Pennington, who has gone 39 for 138 (28 percent) with a profitable $2.18 return on investment riding for Reid the past two years, has been aboard Ocarson for her last six starts, including back-to-back victories in six-furlong sprints at Philly Park and Penn National in December and January.

Jermaine Burke, a seven-pound apprentice, picks up the mount on Puddy de Luca, who will race uncoupled from her stablemate. Burke is 6 for 18 riding for Reid at the current meet.

Puddy de Luca, who defeated second-level optional $25,000 claimers at Penn National on March 26, is 3 for 4 at Philly Park. She will be making her first start at her home track since finishing second in a seven-furlong stakes restricted to Pennsylvania-breds last July.

Jemilyn, making her first start since November, and short sprint specialist Score One More merit respect.

The 5-year-old Jemilyn, from the high-percentage barn of Ramon Preciado, was second in a pair of stakes last season, when she was first or second in all seven starts. In her first start following a long layoff last year, she missed by a nose.

Although Score One More is based at Philly Park with trainer John Servis, she has primarily raced in 4 1/2-furlong dashes at Charles Town, where she was third in last summer's $100,000 Lady Charles Town. This will be the first time in 11 lifetime starts that she has been asked to go beyond five furlongs.