Horse Racing: Horse racing (through 2021)

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Luis Saez rode four winners and finished 8 4-0-0.

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Aqueduct (New York):

• Race 8: The $1 Pick 6 paid $36,000.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Resumed Racing: The track re-opened its meet following two weeks of resurfacing the dirt oval due to safety measures. The track last raced November 28.
• Jorge Ruiz rode four winners on six mounts. The winning rider said of the resurfaced dirt track “The track is now different. Before it was hard, now it's deeper and a little fluffier.”

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Luis Saez rode four winners for the second straight day. He rode the card and finished the past two days 18 8-2-0. In my opinion, the three finalists for North America Jockey of the Year will be Luis Saez, Joel Rosario and Irad Ortiz, Jr. I think it will come down to Rosario and Saez.
• Race 8: Possibly the best finish of the day:

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, December 17, 2021

• Jorge Navarro was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in performance enhancing substances.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Race 2: Cover Photo (Alisa Morrison/Marvin Richards) gave the jockey her second lifetime win with her 64th mount. She is from New Brunswick, Canada and had been exercising horses in Kentucky.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Factor In (Jevian Toledo/Brittany Russell) was the trainer's first starter since Laurel re-opened and she trounced the field in the opener at 8-1. Russell was present in the winners' circle with her newborn baby. In her fourth year of training, she is 27% winning and 56% in-the-money. Superstar!

​

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Ricardo Santana, Jr. had perhaps his most successful day since Saratoga with a 3-win effort.
• Brad Cox is 15 6-5-0 (40%) this meet.
• Race 6: In Dreams (Florent Geroux/Brad Cox) had a fantastic finish to his 6-length romp by pulling away in the stretch. Keep an eye on this puppy. A 2-year-old colt who wants to run. With the win, trainer Cox earned $31,135,781 which established the single-season mark for a trainer in North America history.

​

Remington (Oklahoma):

• Closing Day: A single-day record handle of $4,050,597 was established. The meet ran August 20 until today December 17 during which $98,120,236 was wagered which represents an increase of more than 31% compared to comparable dates in 2019.
• Race 12: Make It Big (Jose Ortiz/Saffie Joseph, Jr.) made a big score for Florida connections in the $400,000 Springboard Mile Stakes. The Florida-bred, purchased for $120,000, is 3 3-0-0 lifetime. The Florida-based trainer is the leading conditioner at Gulfstream. Owned by longtime south Florida based Brunetti family. This race was a Kentucky Derby prep and the winner received 10 points towards entry. The winner "duked it out" with Osbourne (Julien Leparoux/Ron Moquett) before pulling away.

​

• Jose Ortiz left his post in New York and rode three winners with three mounts. Can't do much better than that.
• Leading Jockey: David Cabrera with 90 wins.
• Leading Trainer: Steve Asmussen trained three winners and clinched his 17trh title at the track with 42 winners. He has won 14 of the past 15 training titles (exception Karl Broberg in 2015).

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: $11.2 million.
• Jose Ortiz, who won three races late last night in Oklahoma, returned to New York and won three times today. He won a $400,000 purse yesterday and a $500,000 purse today. Jockeys generally get about 6% of a purse. For his efforts, he was named Jockey of the Week in North America.
• Race 8: Yo Cuz (Jose Ortiz/Bill Mott) wired the field and won the $500,000 New York Stallion Series Stakes for fillies. It was the second time out for the filly who finished fifth in her debut. She was one of two maidens in the race, the other was a 67-to-1 debuting who never factored.

​

• Race 6: Geno (Jorge Vargas, Jr./David Donk) won the $500,000 New York Stallion Series Stakes. The colt won for the second time in four starts.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: $13.2 million.
• Race 11: Doswell (Junior Alvarado/Barclay Tagg) wired the field and won the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, December 19, 2021

Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: Near to $11 million.
• Kendrick Carmouche rode three winners including a natural hat trick.
• Race 9: The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $45,000.
• Race 8: Forewarned (Dexter Haddock/Uriah St. Lewis) pulled a major upset as he won the $125,000 Queens County Stakes at 42-to-1, the longest shot in a field of nine. The winner has been well-traveled in 45 career starts but failed to hit the board in two attempts at the "Big A." A 10th win. Eight tracks in his last eight races. A Philadelphia-based jockey.

​

• Race 7: Chateau (Kendrick Carmouche/Rob Atras) won the $100,000 Gravesend Stakes. Wondrwherecraigis (Luis Saez/Brittany Russell) was the 4-to-5 morning line favorite but scratched due to a foot abscess. Saez was off his mounts for the entire day. Both horses were the expected speed in the race and with the absence of a competitor, the winner wired the field and with a good speed jockey.

​

• Race 3: Pendolino (Raul Mena/Eduardo Jones) never came out of the gate in her 24th start this year. She is not only winless in 2021 but just 2-for-45 lifetime. Something tells me she didn't want to run. It happens.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Hot Barns: Todd Pletcher is 17 9-1-0 (53%). Barclay Tagg is 5 3-1-0 (60%).

Turfway (Kentucky):

• Race 7: Tartufo (Rafael Bejarano/Carlo Vaccarezza) was sent off the favorite and broke his maiden in his firth try. Tolkien (Javier Padron-Barcenas/Carlo Vaccarezza) placed at 23-to-1. Vaccarezza finished 1-2 in a maiden special weight race.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Some tracks go dark this time of the year due to the Christmas holiday and revamped calendar. Christmas falls on a Saturday this year which removes the possibility of racing that otherwise busy day of the week. Merry Christmas to all.

Only the two Florida tracks run December 24.
No track in the continental US runs December 25.

• Parx is closed December 23-26.
• Gulfstream runs its usual Wednesday through Sunday schedule except for December 25.
• Tampa Bay runs Wednesday through Sunday except for December 25.
• Santa Anita opens its extensive meet December 26.
• Laurel is dark until December 26.
• Fair Grounds is dark until December 26.
• Turfway runs December 23 and 26 but not the 24th or 25th.
• Aqueduct is dark until December 30.
• Oaklawn is dark until December 31.

Opening Day: December 26

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$67,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 Mile	Turf	13	11:00 AM PT
Race 2	$69,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	6	11:30 AM PT
Race 3	$69,000	Allowance	About 6 1/2 Furlongs	Downhill turf	9	12:00 PM PT
Race 4	$67,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	7	12:30 PM PT
Race 5	$200,000	San Gabriel S.	1 1/8 Miles	Turf	7	1:00 PM PT
Race 6	$200,000	San Antonio S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	7	1:30 PM PT
Race 7	$200,000	Santa Anita Mathis Mile S.	1 Mile	Turf	9	2:00 PM PT
Race 8	$300,000	La Brea S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	7	2:30 PM PT
Race 9	$69,000	Allowance	About 6 1/2 Furlongs	Downhill turf	9	3:00 PM PT
Race 10	$300,000	RUNHAPPY Malibu S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	7	3:30 PM PT
Race 11	$300,000	American Oaks	1 1/4 Miles	Downhill turf	11	4:00 PM PT

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Lone Star (TX) will operate April 28 - July 24, 2022. The signature day is Memorial Day with a $400,000 race. Lone Star has announced a boost in purses to its 21 stakes races to $2,825,000. The Summer Turf Festival will be July 16 and the following day Stars of Texas.

Lone Star once held the Breeders' Cup and the hope was the area could develop into a national presence. While that goal may have fallen short, it is an appealing track for locals.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Isolated notes about the Santa Anita opening day card:

1. Michigan-bred: Race 10 on opening day at Santa Anita is the Grade I $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes. I noticed the 2-horse was foaled in Michigan and has raced mostly in the Midwest (more so in booming Ohio). Michigan all but killed T-bred racing in the past few years with multiple tracks closing. Not too many bred in the state still run but to have a horse in a Grade I race at Santa Anita should be newsworthy.

2. Beholder's First Foal Entered: Q B One is entered in Race 4 on Sunday at Santa Anita. He is the first offspring of champion Beholder to hit the track, a son to Uncle Mo. Beholder won 18 of 26 races and has given birth to four babies. Q B One is a 3-year-old colt. Beholder will be bred to Curlin in 2022.

3. Inclement Weather Forecasted: For those anticipating and wagering on Santa Anita's opener this Sunday, inclement weather is forecast for southern California which could bring "multiple inches of rain" to the area at some point this week (Thursday and Friday most notably). How that affects the card is not yet known but there is a remote possibility of cancellation.

4. Flightline has won both if his career races and by more than 25 lengths combined. He is trying a graded stakes for the first time, race 10.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 2021 numbers: The numbers for the first 17 days of December are potent especially from what I see at Aqueduct (NY) and Oaklawn (AR). About $500 million bet.

There are 17 tracks in the US that ran similar meets in 2020 and 2021.

Gulfstream (FL) is lagging slightly but that should change with the arrival of snowbirds. The addition of Tapeta could be a challenge to handicappers at least initially. This year 58 dirt, 43 synthetic and 30 turf races conducted when in 2019 -- Tapeta did not exist -- dirt 86 and turf 50 held.

NYRA tracks (Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct) have been a boon on Fox Sports all year and with the current Oaklawn meet tying into Fox, that awesome track is reaping benefits. Don't sleep on Oaklawn. Payouts are impressive and lofty purses, too.

EDIT (The numbers have been published):

AQUEDUCT (NY): Aqueduct is up 22% with over $102 million bet. Winter racing in New York is far less popular than other months but NYRA has a tremendous product and should be exalted. The broadcast is exceptional. NYRA made the wise choice to include, rather than compete with, Arkansas.

GULFSTREAM (FL): Has handed $101.2 million which is about $17 million less than 2020.

OAKLAWN (AR): Has handled over $46 million through nine racing dates. The track does not have a turf course, it is strictly a dirt track. For emphasis, the high purses bring talent.

REMINGTON (OK): $4,050,597 was bet on closing day, the highest any one-day total in track history.

Perhaps most interesting, percent of the market in December:

• Aqueduct (NY) 20.2%
• Gulfstream (FL) 20.2%
• Oaklawn (AR) 9.3%

All tracks total:

• 2021: $501,050,141
• 2020: $462,939,156
• 2019: $413,568,169

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Joel Rosario, who will garner much support for Jockey of the Year in North America, is due to return from injury January 14. He likely will start riding at Oaklawn.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 26 at Laurel:

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$31,500	Maiden Claiming	5 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	10	12:25 PM ET
Race 2	$100,000	Gin Talking S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	6	12:54 PM ET
Race 3	$100,000	Heft S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	7	1:22 PM ET
Race 4	$22,000	Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	14	1:50 PM ET
Race 5	$100,000	Willa On the Move S.	6 Furlongs	Dirt	8	2:20 PM ET
Race 6	$100,000	Dave's Friend S.	6 Furlongs	Dirt	8	2:50 PM ET
Race 7	$100,000	Carousel S.	1 1/8 Miles	Dirt	8	3:20 PM ET
Race 8	$100,000	Robert T. Manfuso S.	About 1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	9	3:50 PM ET
Race 9	$24,000	Claiming	5 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	9	4:20 PM ET

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 26 at Fair Grounds:

Race 11 is a Kentucky Derby prep. The winner receives 10 points towards entry.​

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$40,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/8 Miles	Turf	12	12:00 PM CT
Race 2	$47,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	8	12:30 PM CT
Race 3	$41,000	Allowance	1 Mile	Turf	16	1:00 PM CT
Race 4	$45,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 Furlongs	Dirt	10	1:30 PM CT
Race 5	$75,000	Blushing K. D. S.	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	8	2:00 PM CT
Race 6	$45,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 Furlongs	Dirt	9	2:31 PM CT
Race 7	$75,000	Richard R. Scherer Memorial S.	5 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	9	3:02 PM CT
Race 8	$100,000	Tenacious S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	10	3:33 PM CT
Race 9	$75,000	Buddy Diliberto Memorial S.	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	12	4:04 PM CT
Race 10	$100,000	Untapable S.	1 Mile 70 Yards	Dirt	8	4:35 PM CT
Race 11	$100,000	Gun Runner S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	7	5:06 PM CT
Race 12	$45,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 Furlongs	Dirt	10	5:37 PM CT
Race 13	$45,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	9	6:08 PM CT

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The race for Eclipse Award winner for Trainer of the Year is tight but being the defending champ and now holding the record for money earned in one year ($31.5 million), Brad Cox is likely the leader at this point:

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Not unexpected but the ugly weather in southern Cal has taken racing off the turf today. It is sunny now, however.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Laurel is a freak show today. $1500 double.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

So much action today it will take a while to truly consume but Flightline is a monster. You can hear the murmur in the crowd early in this race as they witnessed something special.

​

And how appropriate that Steve Asmussen wins the first ever Gun Runner Stakes (Ky. Derby prep).

​

 

[GKJ]

Oh man. Are they going to put 'distanced' next to all the other runners there?

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, December 26, 2021

• Closed: Among the tracks not running today were Aqueduct and Oaklawn which resume live racing Thursday and Friday, respectively. Schedules were different than normal for some tracks due to the holidays.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Card: Six of the nine races were $100,000.
• Race 3: Shake Em Loose (Yomar Otiz/Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon) paid $120.80 as the longest odds on the board to pull a massive upset in the $100,000 Heft Stakes.

​

• Race 4: Tyreek (Tais Lyapustina/Damon Dilodovico) entered the stretch fifth but closed impressively to earn a major shocker at 44-to-1. The winner paid $91.20. The $1 double was $772.40. The rider is a native to Russia but raised in Maryland who lost her first 50 rides before breaking her maiden in 2018 at Laurel.
• Race 5: Kaylasaurus (Horacio Karamanos/Tim Kreiser) was sent off 5-to-1 but the second largest odds in a reduced field to win the $100,000 Willa on the Move Stakes. The victory completed an enormous $.50 Pick 3 which paid over $12,000.
• Race 6: Threes Over Deuces (Victor Rosales/Gary Capuano) won the $100,000 Dave's Friend Stakes at 12-to-1, the second longest odds in a field of seven. It was that kind of day at Laurel until the next two races when favorites prevailed in two $100,000 purses.
• Cold: A very atypical day for the Brittany Russell barn. She failed to hit the board with all three starters and a fourth at Fair Grounds.

Tampa Bay Downs:

• Handle: Around $6 million.
• Race 9: Firewater Tu (Skyler Spanabel/Robert Smith) was a first-time starter who won at 48-to-1. The jockey, in her fifth year of riding, is from Michigan and won her first race at the defunct Hazel Park in that state. She has 45 lifetime wins, most of which have come at Delaware. This is her second win this meet.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Luis Saez won his last four rides en route to a 9 5-1-1 afternoon. He is leading the jockeys' standings with 26 wins.
• Luis Saez (5), Leonel Reyes (3) and Junior Alvarado (2) accounted for 10 of the 11 wins by riders.
• Handle: $12 million.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Race 11: Epicenter (Brian Hernandez, Jr./Steve Asmussen) walloped the competition in the Gun Runner Stakes which is a Kentucky Derby prep. The connections received 10 points towa1rds entry into the Derby [ video in an above post ] Sired by Not This Time who is a 7-year-old son to Giant's Causeway. Rocket Dawg (Florent Geroux/Brad Cox) was as disappointing as any finish on the card as he was sent off the favorite at 4-to-5 but never factored and looked uncomfortable throughout; uncharacteristic for the connections.

Santa Anita (California):

• Handle: Right around the $20 million mark. The actual figure was released: $19,417,196 which is third highest for an opening day in track history. Without any doubt, if not for the inclement weather and the fact that six races were removed from turf, the handle would have been much higher and broke the record. Nonetheless, a strong card. Turf players are resolute and this time of year only a handful of tracks offer the option.
• Attendance: 20,537.
• No Turf: The six races scheduled for turf were switched to dirt due to rains on prior days. All odd numbered races were removed for this reason: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11.
• John Velazquez rode four winners on seven mounts including going 6 3-0-2 for Bob Baffert.
• Bob Baffert had three winners. He won three of seven races he entered and sent out 10 horses.
• Race 1: Blackadder (John Velazquez/Bob Baffert) won the opener as the favorite. The 2-year-old son to Quality Road, purchased for $620,000 in September 2020 by a large conglomerate, was out for the third time and broke his maiden today.
• Race 4: Shaaz (John Velazquez/Bob Baffert), sold for $1.1 million in May 2020 at a Maryland sale to Michael Lund Petersen of Pandora Jewelry fame, looked comfortable in winning as the favorite at 1-to-2. The horse was foaled in Virginia, the home state to Secretariat among others.
• Race 5: Bob and Jackie (Jose Valdivia, Jr./Richard Baltas) won the Grade 3 $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes in a reduced field of four as the co-longest shot at 5-to-1. The 5-year-old won a graded stakes for the first time in eight tries and ended a 9-race skid (prior win was July 2020).
• Race 6: Express Train (Victor Espinoza/John Shirreffs) won the Grade 2 $200,000 San Antonio Stakes at 7-to-1 by a nose over heavily favored Hot Rod Charlie (Flavin Prat/Doug O'Neill).

​

• Race 7: Law Professor (Jose Ortiz/Michael McCarthy) won the Grade 3 $200,000 Santa Anita Mathis Mile Stakes by a 1/2 length over Beyond Brilliant (Kent Desormeaux/John Shirreffs). Good race.
• Race 8: Kalypso (John Velazquez/Bob Baffert) trounced the field at 8-to-1 to win the Grade I $300,000 La Brea Stakes. The 3-year-old daughter to Brody's Cause is 9 3-3-2 lifetime and gave her sire his first ever Grade I winner whose first crop is seeing the track currently. Private Mission (Flavien Prat/Bob Baffert) was sent off the favorite but disappointed with a sixth place finish at 4-to-5.
• Race 10: Flightline (Flavien Prat/John Sadler) obliterated the field in winning the Grade I $300,000 Malibu Stakes. The winner was sent off 2-to-5 and not only improved to 3 3-0-0 lifetime but has won each race by a total of more than 37 lengths -- 11 1/2 today in his first graded stakes. Flightline is a 3-year-old son to Tapit who was purchased for $1 million at the 2019 Saratoga sale in part by West Point Thoroughbreds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0CqEv3knXw​

• Race 11: Queen Goddess (Juan Hernandez/Michael McCarthy) topped a 1-2 ticket for the trainer in the Grade 2 $300,000 American Oaks. McCarthy had four of the 10 who ran and at 14-to-1, the winner was his second highest odds.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Oh man. Are they going to put 'distanced' next to all the other runners there?

The article says "a separate race..." with the remainder of the field. Amusing in itself.

‘He’s A Freak’: Flightline Soars To Third Consecutive Daylight Victory In Runhappy Malibu - Horse Racing News | Paulick Report

In a separate race, Baby Yoda, an attentive third to the top of the lane, outfinished Stilleto Boy by a length for the place. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Baby Yoda was off at 16-1 and paid $8.40 and $4.60.

“If Flightline isn't there, I win. He's a freak,” said Ortiz.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Stilleto Boy finished 6 ¼ lengths clear of Triple Tap and paid $4.00 to show while off at 19-1.

Fractions on the race, all set by the winner, were 22.01, 44.48 and 1:08.72.​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

 

[GKJ]

I mean that would be really cool if we had a Secretariat-like horse who just comes out and shitkicks as many horses as they can.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Monday, December 27, 2021

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Reylu Gutierrez rode four winners including his last three mounts. Gutierrez was born in New York and earned his first win at Finger Lakes in that state in 2017. He was a finalist for Eclipse bug of the year and is a good rider but tried NYRA and didn't get the mounts though he won a Grade 3 at Aqueduct. He switched to the center of the country and his having his best year to date.

Santa Anita (California):

• Monday Racing: A rare Monday card.
• Handle: More than $8 million.
• Race 6: A rare result in which the actual finish was same as the numerical order: 1-2-3-4-5-6.
• Thursday: Santa Anita has canceled racing December 30 due to expected rainfall.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The accolades continue. Flightline received a 118 Beyer Figure for his performance on Sunday which is the highest number issued for any horse in North America this year. The 3-year-old had the previous high (tied with Baby Yoda) at 114.

I am not sure how to equate that to a hockey figure for a third-time starter but maybe a 60-save shutout?

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Wednesday's card at Parx offers a mandatory payout in the Philly Big 5.

Updated following Tuesday's card, the pool will start with: $389,290.12

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$25,000	Starter Optional Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	8	12:10 PM ET
Race 2	$23,000	Waiver Maiden Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	12	12:37 PM ET
Race 3	$18,000	Claiming	1 Mile 70 Yards	Dirt	11	1:04 PM ET
Race 4	$21,000	Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	15	1:31 PM ET
Race 5	$25,000	Claiming	7 Furlongs	Dirt	8	1:58 PM ET
Race 6	$50,000	Starter Allowance	7 Furlongs	Dirt	16	2:25 PM ET
Race 7	$50,000	Starter Allowance	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	16	2:52 PM ET
Race 8	$100,000	Parx Futurity	7 Furlongs	Dirt	12	3:23 PM ET
Race 9	$100,000	Parx Juvenile S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	13	3:54 PM ET
Race 10	$22,000	Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	13	4:21 PM ET

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Parx Racing has full fields for mandatory payout of Philly Big 5

Big fields and a pair of stakes for 2-year-olds will be part of the Philly Big 5 carryover jackpot with a mandatory payout Wednesday at Parx Racing.

Coming into this week's racing that began Monday, the carryover was $323,542.55.

Races 6-10, the last five on Wednesday's card, include entered fields of 14 (plus two also-eligibles), 14 (plus two), 12, 13 and 12 (plus one) on the main track. The National Weather Service predicted a 50 percent chance of light rain with no more than a tenth of an inch being forecast.

Two $100,000 stakes are included in Wednesday's last five races. In race 8, Buy the Best (9-5), winner of three in a row for trainer Cathal Lynch, is the morning-line favorite for the Parx Futurity for fillies. In race 9, trainer Graham Motion has called on Jose Ortiz to ride maiden-winning colt Script (3-1), the expected favorite in the Parx Juvenile.

The Philly Big 5 was added to the wagering menu this year at Parx. The jackpot wager is a Pick 5 format and always includes the last five races of the day. Wednesday's sequence begins at 2:25 p.m. EST.