Parx: New York commuter Withgreatpleasure appears to love Philadelphia

Withgreatpleasure ran well enough during her 3-year-old campaign last season to finish second in the Grade 2 Indiana Oaks and third in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks. She has done her best racing, however, after shuttling down the New Jersey turnpike from her base in New York to Parx Racing in suburban Philadelphia.

The David Nunn-trained Withgreatpleasure, who has two wins and a second in three previous visits to Parx, will make the commute again for Tuesday’s featured ninth race, a third-level optional $40,000 claimer for fillies and mares going a flat mile.

Withgreatpleasure, who won her maiden a year ago at Santa Anita and was subsequently ambitiously spotted in the Grade 2 Providencia on turf, has been no worse than second in 7 of 9 starts since she began racing on the East Coast last May. In her most recent trip to Parx in October, Withgreatpleasure earned a career-best 83 Beyer Speed Figure for her half-length score as the even-money favorite in a second-level optional $25,000 claimer.

Most recently, Withgreatpleasure came from seventh to get second going a mile and 70 yards over Aqueduct’s inner track in an overnight stakes.

The biggest threats to Withgreatpleasure among her six opponents Monday figure to come from the uncoupled Butch Reid-trained entry of Pilot Point Lady and Oh So Bella.

The 6-year-old Pilot Point Lady, claimed out of a winning effort for $16,000 two starts ago, won her debut for Reid by three lengths while facing second-level optional $25,000 claimers on Christmas Eve.

Oh So Bella, a 4-year-old who was third in last summer’s $75,000 Go for Wand at Delaware Park, returns at the same level and distance as Monday’s race after missing by a half-length on Dec. 6.

The field also includes a rare Parx shipper for New York trainer Bill Mott. Empress of Gold looks for her third straight win following back-to-back scores clearing her first two allowance conditions over Aqueduct’s inner track. Mott has run just four horses in dirt races at Parx the last five years and is 0 for 2 in non-stakes. Junior Alvarado comes in from New York to retain the mount.