Officer Alex looks to repeat on favorite track
Officer Alex confirmed his affinity for the main track at Parx Racing when he shipped in to win a restricted stakes less than three weeks ago, and he will look to duplicate that performance against open company in Tuesday’s $47,000 feature.
The 4-year-old Officer Alex is among six older horses going seven furlongs in a fourth-level allowance that is also open to $50,000 claimers. All six runners are eligible under the allowance conditions of the seventh race, which goes at 3:07 p.m. Eastern.
In four starts locally, Officer Alex has produced three wins and a second. He came from off the pace to score by 1 1/2 lengths in the Lyman Handicap for Pennsylvania-breds May 3. As a 2-year-old, Officer Alex won the seven-furlong Pennsylvania Nursery.
The main threat to Officer Alex figures to come from Piquant, a consistent 6-year-old gelding who has been no worse than third in 12 of 16 starts over the past two seasons. Piquant cuts back slightly in distance following a third-place finish going a one-turn mile at Belmont Park two weeks ago.
Trained by Lupe Preciado, Piquant ran well the last two times he cut back from a mile to a sprint, winning a seven-furlong race last July and missing by a neck three starts later in September.
Perilous Indian, Mezzano, and Rolling Yona all return following layoffs of more than 61 days.
Perilous Indian makes his first start since mid-March. Mike Trombetta took over the training of the 4-year-old gelding following the death of highly successful trainer Dickie Small last month. Two starts ago, Perilous Indian returned from a two-month freshening to win a one-turn mile at Laurel.
Mezzano hasn’t raced since November. He came back from 3 1/2 months on the sidelines in March 2013 to just miss going a mile at Parx.
Rolling Yona was a distant third against similar allowance company in his only start this year, which came in January. He was a three-time winner going two turns last season, including a second-level allowance going a mile at Parx.