Turf Monster could have Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint implications

The three stakes on the Smarty Jones undercard at Parx on Monday have purses ranging from $100,000 to $300,000, with the Grade 3 Turf Monster the richest and the Donald LeVine Memorial bringing up the rear. The national significance of the two races is a lot closer than one might imagine.

The Turf Monster, a five-furlong sprint, could produce starters for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 4. On their best days, Holding Gold, Pure Sensation, and Rainbow Heir would all fit that race.

Imperial Hint has a fees-paid berth in the $1.5 million BC Sprint by virtue of his impressive Win and You’re In victory in the Smile Sprint at Gulfstream Park. Based at Parx with trainer Luis Carvajal Jr., Imperial Hint will tune up for the Breeders’ Cup in the LeVine Memorial.

“After shipping to Dubai and to Florida, it is nice to be able to run at home,” Carvajal said. “He runs very, very good fresh, and I want to go straight from this race to the Breeders’ Cup.”

The third undercard stakes is the Grade 3, $200,000 Greenwood Cup, a 1 1/2-mile race on the main track. The sequence, which concludes with the Smarty Jones, will be linked by a 50-cent pick four.

Favoritism in the Turf Monster could go to either Holding Gold, trained by Mark Casse, or Pure Sensation, who has raced in the last two editions of the BC Turf Sprint for Christophe Clement.

Holding Gold in each of his last four starts has raced against Green Mask, one of the top turf sprinters in the country. Holding Gold defeated Green Mask by a neck in the Grade 2 Shakertown at Keeneland in April.

Green Mask has since won the Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs on Derby Day, finished a close second to Disco Partner in the Jaipur at Belmont, and won the Highlander at Woodbine and the Troy at Saratoga.

Holding Gold finished second in the Troy and third in the Jaipur. His only poor effort of the year came over wet ground at Churchill in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint.

Julien Leparoux has the mount Monday.

In his last two races, Pure Sensation has hooked up on the lead with Parx-based Bold Thunder, whom he will meet again in the Turf Monster. He won the Grade 3 Parx Dash by 5 3/4 lengths in July, while Bold Thunder weakened to third. In the Troy, Pure Sensation tired to finish sixth, 3 1/2 lengths ahead of last-place Bold Thunder.

Pure Sensation is 3 for 3 over the Parx course. He won this race and the Parx Dash in 2016. Kendrick Carmouche, a five-time leading rider at Parx before moving on to the New York circuit, stays aboard.

Rainbow Heir won the statebred New Jersey Breeders Handicap at Monmouth Park a week ago for trainer Jason Servis. He has a wicked closing kick when at the top of his game and should not be taken lightly here. Antonio Gallardo rides.

Imperial Hint, small in stature but big of heart, has won four consecutive starts dating to last November. He missed a good deal of time after becoming ill in Dubai in March but came back with a top effort to win the Smile Sprint by 4 3/4 lengths. He will be a heavy favorite in the LeVine.

“I was close to going to Saratoga for the Forego,” Carvajal said. “I used to work for Angel Penna Jr., and we won some nice races there, but I didn’t have anything to prove at Saratoga, and I think this is best for my horse. He has trained very nice since the Smile, and the time is right to run him now. I’ll have just over eight weeks until the Breeders’ Cup.”

Javier Castellano, who was aboard for the Smile Sprint, will ride Monday. He will be aboard Battalion Runner in the Smarty Jones for Todd Pletcher.

Scuba began a three-race win streak in last year’s Greenwood Cup that culminated in the Grade 2 Marathon at Santa Anita on Breeders’ Cup Friday. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Scuba enters this year’s Greenwood Cup winless in four starts this year, but he finished a clear second in the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone at Saratoga on Aug. 3, his best effort of 2017.

Scuba led throughout to win the Greenwood Cup last year by five lengths. He used a similar strategy to win the Marathon by 4 1/4 lengths.

Carmouche, who has ridden him in six of his last seven starts, will be in the saddle.

Hawaakom finished second in the Greenwood Cup a year ago for trainer Wes Hawley and is back to try Scuba again.

Madefromlucky and Testosterstone both give the impression that they will like the distance of this marathon if they can settle into comfortable gallops.