Triple Crown connections prominent in allowance feature
A $250,000 yearling purchase who won his career debut impressively for the same team that won two legs of the Triple Crown nine years ago, plus a locally based 3-year-old who most recently finished second in the final leg of Canada’s Triple Crown provide spice to an otherwise routine first-level allowance Monday at Parx Racing.
Charlie Manuel stretches out from seven furlongs to 1 1/16 miles in Monday’s eighth race with a $45,000 purse following an easy win in his unveiling Aug. 10. His principal owner in the Cash Is King syndicate is Chuck Zacney, part of the group that owned Afleet Alex, winner of the Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 2005.
Named in honor of the former popular manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, the equine Charlie Manuel coincidentally launched his racing career on the same weekend that the retired baseball manager was inducted to the Phillies Wall of Fame.
Unfortunately for Charlie Manuel the horse, he lands in the same spot as Lynx, who takes a substantial drop in class after finishing third in the Grade 3 Pegasus at Monmouth Park and second in the $500,000 Prince of Wales at Fort Erie.
Charlie Manuel also has to deal with his coupled stablemate, stretch-out sprinter Derby Gold, along with the Alan Goldberg-trained Funded, who ran well in each of his first two starts going two turns, and Billy Badpay, who has been involved in the exacta in his last four starts, all going two turns.
Race 8
KEY CONTENDERS
Charlie Manuel (Last Beyer: 69)
Will need to run substantially faster to reach the Beyer par of 85 in just his second career start. Trainer Butch Reid is 0 for 6 with second-time starters making their route debut and 2 for 18 with all horses trying a route for the first time when returning in less than 30 days.
Derby Gold (Last 3 Beyers: 83-88-60)
Part of a coupled entry with Charlie Manuel for Reid, whose record with stretch-outs following an in-the-money finish is 7 for 32 (22 percent). His percentage is even better (4 for 15, 27 percent) with those same group of horses racing in an allowance.
Lynx (Last 3 Beyers: 88-78-84)
In his first start since coming to Cathal Lynch’s barn, Lynx won his maiden going a mile at Parx with an 84 Beyer that nearly matches the par for Monday’s class level.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Lynch horses who finished in-the-money last time out while recording a Beyer top back in 31 to 60 days in a dirt route allowance are 10 for 27 (37 percent).
Billy Badpay (Last 3 Beyers: 85-78-77)
He already cleared his first allowance condition two starts ago, but remains eligible here because that win came against Pennsylvania-breds. Runner-up finish in a second-level allowance for statebreds last time out matches par for Monday’s class level.
Funded (Last 3 Beyers: 75-75-73)
Needs to move forward, which is quite possible after he paired up his Beyers in his first two starts around two turns.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Goldberg runners who finished in the money last time out returning in less than 30 days in an allowance route are 5 for 20 (25 percent) with 65 percent in the money.