Page McKenney scores Pennsylvania Derby Champion Stakes upset for 20th career win

BENSALEM, Pa. - Page McKenney turned in a brave performance to upset the $150,000 Pennsylvania Derby Champion Stakes at Parx Racing on Saturday, scoring his 20th career win in the process.

Page McKenney settled into good stalking position just off pacesetting 9-5 favorite Matt King Coal. Following realistic fractions of 24.0 and 47.91 seconds, Page McKenney moved up outside Matt King Coal nearing the far turn.

Page McKenney got the upper hand on Matt King Coal in upper stretch and began to inch away. He then held off late-running Just Call Kenny to win by a half-length.

Jockey Horacio Karamanos said he didn't want to fight Page McKenney on the backstretch.

"I didn't want him to get rank, so I let him move up outside that other horse," Karamanos said. "He gave me everything he had, just like he always does. He's a fighter."

Claimed by trainer Mary Eppler for $16,000 at Penn National in 2013 out of a losing effort in a nonwinners-of-two, he is now 20 for 51 in his career with earnings of more than $1.7 million.

"He fought the whole way today," Eppler said.

Page McKenney paid $15.20 as the fourth choice in the eight-horse field. He was timed in 1:44.17 following splits of 1:11.81 and 1:37.44.

Matt King Coal finished third, three-quarters of a length behind Just Call Kenny, who broke slowly and then finished with a good late run.

Donegal Moon, the 2-1 second choice, lacked a rally when asked and finished fifth.

Sea Raven broke slowly and was squeezed back at the start. He finished sixth.

Mr. Jordan, who finished eighth at 6-1, came outward at the start to get away slowly.

Alphabet Soup: Firsthand Report beats males

The filly Firsthand Report rebounded from a poor effort in her last start to defeat males in the $100,000 Alphabet Soup, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for Pennsylvania-breds.

Firsthand Report, who is based at Belmont Park with Todd Pletcher, has now won three statebred stakes since June. She took the Lyphard, a 1 1/16-mile turf race at Penn National on the June 3 Penn Mile undercard, and then shortened up to win the Power By Far going five furlongs over grass at Parx in July.

Firsthand Report finished a well-beaten fifth in her last race, the five-furlong Marshall Jenney at Parx after the race was taken off the turf and switched to a wet main track.

Firsthand Report sprinted clear early in the Alphabet Soup, then gamely turned back a bid from Bern' James Bern in the final furlong to win by a nose.

Firsthand Report, a 4-year-old daughter of Blame, paid $8.20 and was timed in 1:40.67. She is now 6 for 14 in her career.

Edge of Reality finished third, two lengths behind Bern' James Bern. The even-money favorite Tasit was fourth in the eight-horse field. He raced in traffic to the stretch, then lacked the needed response once clear.