Sharp group on tap for Smarty Jones, a prep for the Pa. Derby
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A competitive field of nine 3-year-olds entered Tuesday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, the local prep for Parx Racing’s signature event of the year, the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 23.
The first three finishers in the Smarty Jones will receive free nomination, entry, and starting fees to the 1 1 1/8-mile Derby.
Salute the Stars is the 3-1 morning-line favorite. A Candy Ride colt trained by Brad Cox, Salute the Stars captured Monmouth Park’s Pegasus on June 17 before finishing seventh of eight when bet down to 9-2 in the Grade 1 Haskell last month. In both the Pegasus and Haskell, Salute the Stars pulled hard and expended valuable energy in the early portion of the race.
“We’ve tried to get him to relax and work on handling the first turn a little better,” Cox said. “Obviously, he was able to overcome it in the Pegasus, but he stepped into deeper water last time out and it took too much out of him. I don’t really know what his issue was with that. A little smoother run in the first turn will help him at the end.”
Florent Geroux has the mount from post 2.
“I’d like to break and let him find his own way, and try not to get into his mouth,” Cox added. “I love the way he looks physically.”
Army Times ships in from his Monmouth base seeking a third consecutive victory for trainer Chad Brown. A late-developing son of Into Mischief out of Brown’s Grade 2 winner Paid Up Subscriber, Army Times has the speed to be on or near the early lead.
Victory Way brings the best last-out Beyer Speed Figure to the Smarty Jones, a 97 earned when taking a first-level allowance on July 1 at Belmont Park. The City of Light colt has won 2 of 3 starts for trainer Bill Mott.
“He’s always looked like he could run some,” Mott said. “Now the test is how he handles the two turns and the upgrade in competition. We’re just finding out where we belong.”
Mott mentioned the Pennsylania Derby as a possible goal if Victory Way performs well Tuesday.
Il Miracolo faced some of the best 3-year-olds in the country without much success earlier this year but rebounded with an excellent runner-up finish in the restricted Curlin on July 21 at Saratoga.
“I selected the Smarty Jones because the race isn’t as strong as the Travers,” trainer Antonio Sano said. “He’s been working very well.”
Cagliostro looks like a strong contender for trainer Cherie DeVaux. The Upstart colt was beaten a nose by subsequent Curlin winner Scotland in a first-level allowance on June 3 at Churchill Downs, then endured a traffic-filled trip when third in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby.
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Ninetyprcentmaddie is a horse for course with four victories at Parx. Movisitor sold for $120,000 at public auction last month, then wired a first-level allowance field with a 93 Beyer.
Daydreaming Boy is 2 for 2 around two turns. Adero recently dominated a second-level allowance at Monmouth and has won four of his last five starts.
“He came out of that last start with a little bit of a foot bruise, which he’s had a problem with throughout his career,” said Ninetyprcentmaddie’s trainer, Butch Reid. “We actually had him in a race, but then they canceled the card due to bad weather, so I missed his prep. I breezed him in company with Ridin With Biden and that went really well.”
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