Parx: Indian Jones cuts back drastically for allowance feature

After focusing on long-distance events from late summer to early November, Indian Jones will be asked to cut back sharply to a sprint for Tuesday’s $50,000 allowance feature at Parx Racing.

The seven-furlong race, open to horses who have not won three non-claiming races within the past six months, goes as race 8 on a nine-race card at 3:34 p.m.

The 6-year-old Indian Jones has not raced since he made up nearly 18 lengths following a poor start to be beaten only 2 1/2 lengths in the 1 3/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Marathon at Santa Anita on Nov. 1. Two starts earlier, Indian Jones rallied from 13 lengths behind to finish second, beaten a nose, in the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup at 1 1/2 miles.

Seven furlongs, however, is within the comfort zone of Indian Jones. He scored by 3 1/4 lengths in a second-level optional $25,000 claimer going seven furlongs last February and won back-to-back starts at a mile and a mile and 70 yards this past summer.

[Watch Tuesday's Parx Racing card live at DRF.com]

The seven-horse field also includes Tujoes and Arlo, who finished 1-2 in the seven-furlong Lyman for Pennsylvania-breds in April.

Tujoes, 8 for 15 lifetime at Parx, was dull in two subsequent starts to his 2 1/4-length win in the Lyman. He shows three solid workouts since Dec. 4, including a bullet half-mile in 47.60 seconds, in preparation for his first start since moving into the barn of Parx’s third leading trainer, Phil Aristone.

Tujoes will race as a separate betting interest from the Aristone-trained Indian Jones.

Arlo will be racing on New Year’s Eve for the second straight year after winning the mile-and-70-yard Auld Lang Syne on the last day of 2012. He cuts back slightly in distance following back-to-back solid performances in November. Trained by Cynthia Reese, Arlo won a conditioned allowance with a $68,7000 purse going a mile on Nov. 9 and missed by a head two weeks later in a one-mile allowance restricted to statebreds.

Adirondack King merits respect on the basis of his 4 1/2-length allowance win going a mile on Dec. 1. That performance enabled the 4-year-old Adirondack King to snap an 0-for-17 slump since the start of his 2012 campaign.

Red October looks for his third straight win while making his first start since Oct. 28.

Piquant won the last time he raced seven furlongs in July.