Only two left to contest Turning for Home

A sloppy track and no turf turned Saturday’s $75,000 Turning for Home Stakes at Parx Racing into a match race.

Originally scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on grass, the Turning for Home lost six of its eight starters to scratches, leaving only Hobo Ridge and Change of Command to run. Of the pair, the 7-year-old Hobo Ridge is the only horse who has ever raced on dirt. The last time he ran on the main track, in an off-the-turf starter allowance, Hobo Ridge romped by five lengths going 1 1/8 miles in July 2013.

The 7-year-old Change of Command has raced exclusively on turf throughout his 27-race career.

The stakes is the feature on a special 12-race Owners Appreciation Day program with purses totaling $613,000. The Turning for Home isn’t even the richest race on a card with highly inflated purses. For example, fillies and mares will compete for $90,000 in a first-level allowance sprint. There is also a $36,000 race for $5,000 claimers and a $38,000 race for $13,000 maiden claimers.