Sweet Reason, Noble Moon work for Parx stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Sweet Reason, a winner of two Grade 1 races around one turn in her last two starts, prepared for her return to two-turn racing Saturday by working seven furlongs in 1:27.28 over the Belmont Park training track.

Sweet Reason worked in company with her 3-year-old male stablemate Noble Moon, who finished about four lengths behind.

Sweet Reason is preparing for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion at Parx, where she is expected to run against Untapable, the pro-temp leader of the 3-year-old filly division. Noble Moon, fourth in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop in his last start, is being pointed to next Saturday’s Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, also at Parx.

Trainer Leah Gyarmati constructed the work so that both horses would go around two turns. The move began at the seven-eighths pole of the one-mile training track.

The two began the work together, but Sweet Reason quickly opened up a length or more on Noble Moon after an opening quarter in 25.86 seconds. Sweet Reason, with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. up, went in fractions of 38.56 seconds for three furlongs, 50.91 for a half-mile, 1:02.52 for five furlongs and got her final quarter in 24.76 seconds while finishing four lengths ahead of an under-the-whip Noble Moon.

“I was wanting them to stay together a little bit longer, but [Ortiz] said she was just so on the bit he didn’t want to fight with her,” Gyarmati said. “But he said she was doing it so easy, she was just galloping. She looked like when she came off the track that she had just taken a jog around the park. That was like nothing for her.”

Sweet Reason, a daughter of Street Sense, is 4 for 5 around one turn, with three Grade 1 victories. She won the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga at 2 and finished second to Artemis Agrotera in the Grade 1 Frizette, also at 2.

Sweet Reason, fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, won a two-turn, one-mile allowance at Aqueduct to begin her 3-year-old season before finishing third in the Grade 2 Gazelle. After a brief freshening, she has come back with victories in the Acorn and Test, both Grade 1 races at a mile and seven furlongs, respectively.

Noble Moon won the Grade 2 Jerome over Aqueduct’s inner track in January. Plagued by foot problems throughout the winter and spring, he ran sixth in the Wood Memorial in April. After another long layoff, Noble Moon finished fourth, beaten 2 3/4 lengths, in the King’s Bishop at seven furlongs.

“I thought he ran a huge race, and he ended up having to check, too; he could have been third if he had a clean trip,” Gyarmati said. “He finished great. It did what I wanted it to do.”

Gyarmati said she is also considering the Indiana Derby on Oct. 4 for Noble Moon but is leaning toward the Pennsylvania Derby.

The post-position draw for the Pennsylvania Derby, Cotillion, and Gallant Bob will be held following Monday’s eighth race at Parx.

The field for the Pennsylvania Derby is expected to include California Chrome, Bayern, Candy Boy, Taptiure, Noble Moon, and possibly Protonico.

The field for the Cotillion is expected to include Untapable, Cassatt, Little Alexis, Joint Return, Sweet Reason, and West Riding. Trainer Todd Pletcher is considering both Stopchargingmaria and Dame Dorothy.