Parx Racing: Windsor Warrior could be value play in Chris Elser Memorial

Under the category of better late than never, Parx Racing presents a pair of twice-postponed stakes worth $75,000 apiece on Saturday’s card. The Donna Freyer for 3-year-old fillies and Chris Elser Memorial for 3-year-old colts and geldings, originally scheduled for mid-November and tentatively reset for late December, had to be called off each time because of a quarantine that was in effect due to equine herpesvirus.

Both 6 1/2-furlong races are restricted to horses that spent at least 90 days in South Carolina.

The Elser, which goes as race 7, is the more interesting of the two races. Geaux Mets, a two-time winner against New York-breds for trainer David Jacobson, and Back Alley Ambush, second while running for a $35,000 claiming tag two weeks ago, will likely vie for favoritism.

Those looking for value may land on Charles Town shipper Windsor Warrior or one of an uncoupled pair from trainer Lupe Preciado, Leet and Bright Skies.

Windsor Warrior is a three-time winner going 6 1/2 furlongs, including his two most recent races against allowance company. Most of his success, however, has come against West Virginia-bred company, and Windsor Warrior’s trainer, Ollie Figgins, is 0 for 5 shipping into Parx the last five years.

Preciado will send out second-time starter Leet, who comes back a week after finishing second in his debut, and Bright Skies, who hasn’t run since finishing last as the even-money favorite in his first try against winners Nov. 26.

Leet is the first foal from the mare Hailie’s Girl, a Pennsylvania-bred who won the Blue Mountain Juvenile and was second in seven other stakes. Preciado is 3 for his last 10 with dirt sprinters back in seven days or less. He won the 2012 running of the Donna Freyer for fillies.

Over the past three years, Preciado’s record with 61-to-180-day layoff sprinters like Bright Skies is 10 for 40 (25 percent) with a high $3.62 return on investment.

Viable alternatives to even-money favorite Aunt Ellipsis are hard to find in the six-horse field for the Freyer (race 5). Aunt Ellipsis, who has not been worse than second in four starts, and Danees Do Be Do, who won for a $12,500 claiming tag against maidens at Laurel Park two starts ago, are the only non-maidens in the field.

The non-winners include Je Suis Enchantee, who finished fourth in her career debut last week at Penn National after posting a pair of bullet workouts. Her trainer, Clovis Crane, is 6 for 31 (19 percent) with a $2.16 ROI with second-time dirt starters over the past three years.