Classic Turfers Face Off In G1 Penn Handicap

Welcome to DelPenn Champions Day, the last big bash to end a great season of racing. We have a full field for The Pennsylvania Handicap, run at 9.5 furlongs on the firm turf for a cool million. We have everything in this one from 3yo colts to a 5yo mare to a Bargain Bowl winner. This turf division may not get the press that the milers and marathoners get, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing exciting happening here. This is the third running of this race, which was run at 9f the first year, then bumped up to its current 9.5f last year. The inaugural race was won by billgulch’s Sunken Treasure.

Leading the post parade is coolerk’s New Storm at 7/1. He is a 3yo by Storm Cat. This year he won the G2 Early Months Stakes against other 3yos, and he ran second last time out against older horses in the G1 Coxless Stakes. He’s run a 110 at this distance and has only finished worse than second two times out of his 15 turf races this year. R. Smith (11%) pilots him today.

In post two at 9/1 is n2racing’s 4yo Danzig colt A.P. Poll. This guy is at his best between 8.5 and 9.5 furlongs, and ran off four stakes wins in a row earlier this year, culminating in a victory in the G3 Brown Fields Handicap. His top rating at this distance is a 111 and he has won all three of his starts at 9.5 furlongs. I. Pollara (9%) is in the irons.

In post three at 15/1 is blackirish’s Eternity(Ire). He is a 3yo by Fasliyev(Ire) out of a Kris S. mare (bet you didn’t see that one coming). Ireland’s fearless leader has had a fair bit of success with this combo, though, including three 2yo winners, one a SW and one SP. Eternity(Ire) became a stakeswinner in only his second start, and although he hasn’t been able to win another, he also has never finished worse than fourth in his career. L. Salisbury (10%) gets the mount.

In post four at 7/1 is sdmf2’s Top Jimmy. Anyone want to tell me why this 4yo by Peintre Celebre(Ire) is missing his tag? Ah well, tag or not, he won the G1 Windy City Turf Classic this year and has won half of his ten career starts on turf. He’s banked over 1.5 million dollars, and won the 10f turf Delpenn vs. GR Simsters Smackdown race. N. Bedford (10%) is in the saddle.

In post five is the lone lady of the race, Lidocaine, owned by 1ststable. She is a 5yo by Point Given and goes off at 13/1. Although she seems to have either lost a step or is just off form lately, she ran over 100 in every race she ran as a 4yo. She has never won a graded stakes, but she has hit the board in three of them, with her best effort being a 118 over 9f in last year’s G1 Demona Handicap. La. Ferguson (6%) would love to get that graded win on her resume before she retires.

In post six at 11/1 is iant7’s Ransomaffirmedsir. He is a 4yo by Red Ransom. He has won six stakes races this year, as well as an allowance, and placed in four other stakes races. His best effort was a 108 over 9f. This is his first venture into the graded ranks, but he has performed extremely well this year, even when the odds were against him. Y. Feese (11%) has chosen to ride him today.

Don’t let the 16/1 odds fool you. Minesweeper is the big name in this race. The 3yo by Mineshaft is owned by songcycle, aka nextbonus. His victory in the G1 Big Red Stakes against other 3yos raised eyebrows, but it was his eyepopping victory in the G1 Coalminer Cup over Krishna(Ire) and Horseshoe Bay that really thrust him into the limelight. He tangled with the big boys Allied Assault and Sunnybank Memorial in the BB Turf and the Japan Cup in his last two starts, but the pace in those was too hot for him to handle. He looks to get back on track here and add one more G1 to his list of accomplishments before he turns 4. Q. Miller (14%) is looking forward to his ride on this exciting colt.

In post eight at 8/1 is saver’s At The Chateau(GB). He is a 4yo by Beat Hollow(GB). He placed second in last year’s running of this race, and has placed in four other graded races as well. He is a very versatile colt who has run over 100 at distances from 7 to 12 furlongs and on both surfaces. He’s coming off a third place finish in the G2 Flying Carpet Handicap, and is still at the top of his game. B. Hebert (10%) rides.

In post nine at 10/1 is redback’s Cry Of The Fox. He is a 5yo by Dayjur. He was a G3 winner as a 2yo and appeared in the Breeder’s Bowl Juvenile Turf. He has not won another graded race, but ran second in last year’s G1 Eddie O Cap and third in the G3 Capital’s Major Price this year. He’s coming off a pair of impressive allowance wins and looks to be in top form. He’s run a 113 at a mile, so the ability is there. L. Wilkinson (9%) hopes to bring forth his best effort.

In post ten at 21/1 is dinomite’s Go For Bull. He is a 3yo by Holy Bull, and is a multiple stakes winner. He has yet to break 100 though, which explains the long odds. He is coming off a second place finish to Ransomaffirmedsir in the Ray’s Sword Stakes in Utah, which was run at today’s distance of 9.5 furlongs and seems to be the distance he likes best. D. Williams (8%) will be looking for that 100 today.

Coming out of post eleven is the horse everyone will be looking to beat, dshock’s Preferred Power. The 4yo by Pulpit is ranked #3 in the older turf classic division. His wins this year include the G1 Judgemont International and the G1 Eclipse Stakes, and he ran second in the G1 Keg Of Guinness and G1 Man Of War Stakes. He has only finished off the board in two of eleven starts this year and is truly at the top of his game. He goes off at 5/1 and has top jockey J. Piotrowski (25%) on board.

The top money winner in the field is dimitri’s Jacques, a 4yo by the great Danehill. His victory in this year’s G1 Sand Castle Fee Duty was nothing short of spectacular, taking down top miler Xtremely A Fan as well as top turf mare Turning Japanese. He also won the G2 Confederate Stakes and placed in four other graded races. He tuned up in an allowance after a poor showing in the Breeder’s Bowl Mile, and is ready to roll today. He goes off at 10/1 and has S. Camp (11%) in the irons.

In post thirteen at 16/1 is dundey5’s Pepe’s Pipes. THIS is what you hope to get when you breed a bargain-bred. Winner of the Bargain Bowl Cougar Bite Classic, the 4yo by Singingintherain also won the G3 King George BB Stakes, and led the field for most of the G1 Judgemont International before fading to fourth. A repeat of his King George effort, in which he ran a 109, would put him squarely in the running for this one. Me. Fortin (11%) likes this colt’s heart and doesn’t care whether he’s blueblood or not.

Rounding out the post parade at 8/1 is knowlton’s Tern Of The Wheel. The 4yo by Wheelaway had a stellar career on dirt, with G1 and G2 wins along with a second place finish in the G1 Bluegrass Derby. He switched to turf early this year, and wasted no time in finding his way to elite status in the division, winning a G1 and a G2 in his second and third starts on the surface respectively. He ran a very respectable 4th, only 3 lengths back, in the Breeder’s Bowl Mile, and tuned up in a listed dirt stakes for today’s race. R. Johnston(11%) rides the dual-surface G1 winner.

How’s that for an exciting field? I can’t even begin to guess who will be there at the wire. There is not a horse in here who couldn’t win. Is there an Eclipse on the line in this race? Probably not, but a victory here could certainly be a starting point for a run at an Eclipse next season for many of these. Good luck to all the runners, and may they all come home sound.