Pennsylvania Day Sees Record 142 Entries In 13 Races

The 21st annual Pennsylvania Day at the Races slated for August 22 at Parx Casino will have a record 142 entries for its 13-race card that will see over $1 million in winnings paid out. A big reason for the increased number of entries is the addition of two stakes races. The two new stakes events are restricted to Pennsylvania-bred and sired 2-year-olds, with both events having 12 entrants.

All totaled, the day will include seven stakes races that will see some of the best Pennsylvania-bred horses racing. All seven stakes events are worth $100,000. Post-time for the first race is 12:55 p.m. (ET).

Pennsylvania Day will also mark the re-opening of horse racing for Parx as they are coming off their annual short break. The last time there was racing at Parx was August 3.

Mrs. Penny Stakes

The $100,000 Mrs. Penny is the first stakes race on Monday race docket, with post time slated for 3:15 p.m. (ET). The one-and-one-sixteenth mile turf race is expected to be highly competitive with potentially 11 fillies and mares, 3-year-olds, and upwards running. Ninetypercentbrynn likely won’t race as she is listed as main track only.

Love in the Air (10-2-4-3, $134,931), who will start on the rail, is the morning line favorite at 5/2 though there are two others with odds of better than 5/1. The 4-year-old daughter of Constitution has finished “in the money” in all five of her turf races and is coming off a third-place finish in the Grade III Dr. James Penny Stakes at this distance at Parx last month.

Maldives Model (15-3-6-2, $183,610) is the second choice on the morning line as she has raced exceptionally well on the turf, with two wins and two seconds in five outings. She also has one victory and “cashed” in her four stakes events, including a third-place finish in the Princess of Sylmar Stakes at Presque Isles Downs in July. Maldives Model bested Love in the Air by one-and-one-half lengths in a June stakes race.

Midnight Obsession (10-3-5-1, $237,310) has made the most money of the horses in the field and is the third choice with an opening line of 7/2. She has “hit the board” in all four stakes races and has been racing well lately. However, Midnight Obsession is running on the grass for the second time of her career, finishing 11th in her first attempt in March at Gulfstream Park.

Dr. Teressa Garofola Memorial Stakes

This $100,000 six-furlong race, featuring nine fillies and mares, could be the race of the day as 2021 Pennsylvania-bred Horse of the Year Chub Wagon (13-12-1-0, $648,600) will attempt to avenge her lone loss in last year’s event. The Dr. Teressa Garofola Stakes is the seventh race on the card and is slated to go off at 3:47 p.m.

Chub Wagon will start from the outside post and is the 9/5 morning line favorite. She
has won both of her previous races this year and four straight stake events since suffering her lone loss.

Cinnabunny (17-8-2-3, $364,920) will try to be better than her last outing in this event, where she finished third, three and one-quarter lengths behind Chub Wagon. The 5-year-old mare has been running consistently since finishing fourth in the Penn Landing Stakes in her 2022 season debut. Cinnabunny, the second choice per the morning line at 3/1, won the Dashing Beauty Stakes her last time out.

Oxana (11-4-0-1, $180,460) is the morning line’s third choice at 9/2. The UptownCharlyBrown filly is followed by Remain Anonymous (21-4-9-3, $248,915) at 5/1 and HeyMamaluke (28-9-7-0, $506,899) at 6/1.

Marshall Jenney Handicap

This $100,000 five-furlong sprint could be a two-horse race between former event winners. Nine older horses and geldings are slated to run in the eighth race, with four of the horses having single-digit morning line odds.

The Critical Way (31-10-6-2, $616,168), who won the race in 2020, is the odds-on favorite at 6/5. Last year’s winner, Admiral Way (32-11-4-5, $516,412), is racing for the fourth time this year and is 9/2 on the morning line. 11-year-old Hollywood Talent (53-11-11-7, $467,3210) is the oldest horse in the field and is the third choice at 5/1 odds, while Smooth B (44-8-9-6, $582,758) is at 6/1.

Banjo Picker Sprint Stakes

The six-furlong Banjo Picker Sprint Stakes is the 11th race on the docket and should be a splendid battle on the dirt. Five of the nine male competitors – 3-years old and older – have morning line odds of 6/1 or better.

Beren (18-8-5-0, $609,402), the morning line favorite at 5/2, is coming off a win in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash and has five straight top 2 finishes. Meanwhile, Fortheluvofbourbon (20-9-1-3, $406,502) is just behind Beren at 3/1 as the 5-year-old gelding has won three consecutive races and is 9-for-15 lifetime at Parx. Three-year-old colt Nimitz Class is third on the morning line at 5/1, followed by Breezy Gust and Final Shot at 6/1.

Other Stakes Races of the Day

Race 9 and 10 are the new 2-year-old stakes races. Both are five-and-one-half furlongs sprints with the fillies up first in the Miss Blue Tye Dye Stakes followed by the Whistle Pig Stakes.

Flor de Sombra is the favorite for the Miss Blue Tye Dye Stakes at 2/1. Meanwhile, Ninetypercentmaddie tops the morning line for the Whistle Pig Stakes at 7/2 though six other horses have odds of 6/1 or lower.

The one-mile-and-70-yard Storm Cat Stakes is the final of stakes races, and the all-male field of 10 is wide open. Too Boss (10-3-3-1, $194,220) is the morning line favorite at 3/1. Divine Miracle (13-8-2-2, $237,399) is the second choice at 4/1, followed by Ruby Bleau at 5/1, while King Kumbalay and Splicethemainbrace are both listed at 6/1.