Miguel Clement has enjoyed instant success in his early career as a trainer, but working with Teddy’s Rocket has required more patience. His breakout performance has always seemed to be a start away, and it could finally come in the Grade 3, $400,000 Penn Mile on Friday at Penn National. “I’m convinced he’s got talent, this horse, and it’s just a question of getting it right on race day,” Clement said. “I’m sure that he was one of my most talented horses last year, and I feel the same, that he’s one of my most talented horses this year.” The Penn Mile will be the feature Friday night on a 10-race card, which will also include the $150,000 Penn Oaks and two $75,000 stakes for Pennsylvania-breds. Teddy’s Rocket will be joined by six 3-year-old rivals seeking their first graded stakes victory. When Teddy’s Rocket lived up to his name in his debut Saratoga last August, Clement was understandably eager to enter his colt in stakes company. He shipped him to Woodbine for the Grade 1 Summer the following month, where he rallied late to finish fourth by 1 1/2 lengths. The precocious runner did not compete again as a juvenile and returned from a seven-month layoff on April 25. Clement said he expected more in the $150,000 Woodhaven at Aqueduct, but the Liam’s Map colt stumbled early on a dampened turf course and was never involved. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “I promise you, he’s going to run a much better race this time than the other day [in the Woodhaven],” Clement said. “I think it was only because of the ground, and I was very utterly disappointed last time. He’s sitting on a good race.” Two Penn Mile contenders are coming out of the Grade 1 American Turf at Churchill Downs. Honey Dutch and Alpyland both entered the deep field as outsiders, but they ran well for third and fourth. Honey Dutch is still looking for his first stakes victory, having finished in the money in five attempts since November for trainer Whit Beckman. Three of those defeats came by less than a length, including a second in the Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland. “He’s been right there at the door in multiple attempts,” Beckman said. “We still think he’s more than capable of getting to the other side of the wire in front. I think [the Penn Mile], just with the configuration of the course and his running style and that distance, seems like it could be a favorable spot.” Whitman said he expects Honey Dutch to use his speed at Penn National. He was an early leader in the American Turf last time out and held for third with a 92 Beyer Speed Figure. Alpyland, who finished 2 1/4 lengths behind Honey Dutch at Churchill Downs, is one of two stakes winners in the field of seven, having won the $150,000 Dania Beach and $100,000 Columbia during his winter stint in Florida. The Mark Casse trainee has never lost in three starts at a mile. Immortalised, a French-bred trained by Brendan Walsh, is the fourth major contender in the field and will return from a two-month break. In March, he won his third straight start in the $150,000 Cutler Bay at Gulfstream. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.