Smarty Jones a welcoming spot for Gould's Gold

Gould’s Gold has been on the cusp of stakes success multiple times this year and could be sitting on a breakthrough performance Saturday in the $200,000 Smarty Jones at Parx Racing.

The 1 1/16-mile race anchors a card that features six stakes worth a cumulative $725,000. The races could produce starters for the Pennsylvania Derby Day card on Sept. 21.

The Smarty Jones drew a field of six. The most accomplished member is Uncle Heavy, who has won two stakes including the Grade 3 Withers in February at Aqueduct. Catalytic, runner-up in the Florida Derby, is part of the field, but was expected to run in Friday night’s Robert Hilton Memorial at Charles Town.

Gould’s Gold, who is cross-entered in the St. Louis Derby, will run at Parx, according to his trainer, Kenny McPeek. He became Grade 3-placed two starts ago when second in the Ohio Derby, and before that missed by a nose in the Sir Barton at Pimlico. Gould’s Gold enters the Smarty Jones off a fifth-place finish to champion Fierceness in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga.

“He’s run well in a couple of stakes this year between the race at Pimilico and then also at Ohio,” McPeek said. “But he was a little overmatched in the Jim Dandy, so we’ve dropped back in competition a little bit. But he deserves another chance in stakes company.”

:: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!

Earlier this year, Gould’s Gold finished third in his stakes debut in the Bath House Row at Oaklawn Park. He had won a maiden race one start prior over Wants N Needs, who was to have run in the Robert Hilton. Gould’s Gold shows some strong recent works at Saratoga.

“He’s been steady as it goes,” McPeek said of the horse’s training up to the Smarty Jones.

Emmanuel Esquivel has the mount on Gould’s Gold from post 3.

“He typically stalks a little bit,” McPeek said. “He can rate off horses. My best guess is he’ll be laying second, third, or fourth.”

Uncle Heavy most recently finished fifth in the Ohio Derby. He is returning to a surface over which he has won twice, including the Wait for It Stakes in December.

Uncle Heavy will add blinkers. He worked a sharp half-mile in 47.40 seconds on Aug. 17 at Parx.

Mugato was the runner-up in the Bald Eagle Derby in his last start Aug. 8 at Laurel Park. Atrocious is a son of the multiple Grade 2-winning mare Fiftyshadesofhay, who earned $1 million. Just Step On It will get good support off a fourth-place finish to Dornoch in the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park.

◗ Gould’s Gold’s ownership includes Four G Racing and Lance Gasaway, who co-own Mystik Dan, the McPeek-trained winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby. The Smarty Jones honors another Kentucky Derby winner. The Pennsylvania-bred got his start at Parx and won the 3-year-old classic in 2004.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.