Pennsylvania Derby (Grade 1)

WITH only Arcangelo putting up two dominant performances in the division, there may be room for a late runner into the top three-year-old awards in the US. Grade 1 winners Mage, National Treasure, Geaux Rocket Ride and the 2022 top juvenile Forte all flattered but then faltered as the season has moved on.

Enter Saudi Crown, who has made impressive strides over the last two months.

The Brad Cox-trained grey, overcame a sloppy Parx racetrack from Tropical Storm Ophelia, to make all the running and outlast a late-running Dreamlike by a half-length.

Pushed to the lead from the stalls by jockey Florent Geroux, Saudi Crown controlled the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby from start to finish,

The winner raced the mile and a furlong on a sloppy track off uncontested fractions of 47.27secs, and the mile in 1m12.17secs and, though Dreamlike was cutting into his lead late, Saudi Crown appeared to have plenty left.

The son of the Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming, owned by FMQ Stables made $240,000 when going through the ring as a two-year-old last April.

Though he had never won a stakes race before Saturday, Saudi Crown, was backed down to near even-money favourite.

In his last effort on a sloppy track, he almost held Forte in the July 29th Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes before being caught by a nose on the line. That race had followed another runner-up finish and nose defeat to the decent Fort Bragg when beaten in the July 1st Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes at a mile at Belmont Park.

Missing the Travers, Brad Cox had opted to await the Pennsylvania Derby, the easier of the two Grade 1s and over a shorter distance.

“He needed a breakthrough performance, and I think he is one of the top three-year-olds in the country,” Cox said afterwards.

Undefeated

“He started looking around the last eighth of a mile,” Geroux reported. “His ears were flopping a little bit - a little bit too much for my liking, but it was great. This year it’s just too bad because he came very late to the party. He’s just two noses away from being undefeated.”

Previous Pennslyvania Derby contenders have then gone on to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile but Cox appears to favour the Classic and his running style should suit Santa Anita.

“Based off the pedigree, by a Derby winner out of a Tapit mare, with his physical deal, he could handle the mile and a quarter,” Cox said. “Obviously, you have to get the right setup. I am not sure he has to have the lead in order to win. He is a pretty kind horse who breaks well.”

With his Saudi-based ownership group, the 2024 Saudi Cup is also a likely target next season.

Ceiling Crusher halts the Mischievous run

Cotillion Stakes (Grade 1)

ONE notable element to the card at Parx was that it hosted the first US Grade 1 races ever called by a female commentator.

Parx Racing announcer Jessica Paquette called a history-making commentary when the filly Ceiling Crusher caused a bit of a shock by beating the multiple Grade 1-winning top three-year-old filly Pretty Mischievous in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes.

Ceiling Crusher led under jockey Edwin Maldonado and cruised through opening fractions to a half mile in 47.64secs, chased by longshot Majestic Creed.

Once that rival was beaten off, Ceiling Crusher widened her advantage as Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous began her usual late challenge turning for home.

But Ceiling Crusher had more left. The Oaks winner closed but wasn’t closing fast enough as Ceiling Crusher held on to the wire, prevailing by half a length. Occult got up for third, a length and a quarter behind Pretty Mischievous.

After some impressive performances on the west coast, trainer Doug O’Neill came across the county to land the big prize.

“We had the great Lava Man, who did so many wonderful things in the state of California but could never take it outside of California. You never know until you pack your bags.” O’Neill was was quoted by BloodHorse.

“She was kind of resenting the track for the first quarter of a mile, but once she switched leads down the backside she was in a little better position,” jockey Tyler Gaffalione said of Pretty Mischievous on the sloppy track. “The winner just had the jump on us today.”

By the little known California sire Mr. Big, Ceiling Crusher is the first stakes winner produced from her dam and has won six from seven starts.

Next in line

Another impressive winner on the card was the grey Next in the mile and a half Grade 3 Greenwood Cup. The gelding soared to his third consecutive stakes victory for owner Michael Foster and trainer William “Doug” Cowans.

Taking command early, the five-year-old son of Not This Time led off comfortable opening fractions before clearing away from the field with a quarter-mile left to run.

The odds-on favourite was some 25 lengths in front at the line.

Next was claimed by Cowans for $62,500 last April at Keeneland from trainer Wesley Ward and has won six of eight starts since with ockey Luan Machado on board.

“He is awful tough to beat because he has so much stamina. He’ll keep running and running,” Cowans said.

There was a shock on the card when Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Gunite, a commanding winner over sprint champion Elite Power in last month’s Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga, went down to Nimitz Class who stunned the crowd with a length and three quarter triumph over the 3/5 favourite in winning the Parx Dirt Mile.

Tracking the leader and Gunite in third along the outside under jockey Paco Lopez, the pair crept closer turning for home, and charging through the slop, Nimitz Class swept past the Grade 1 winner for a surprise win.

Oklahoma

How Did He Do That, with 44/1 odds, nosed out two of the favourites in a three-way photo finish to take the $400,000 Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.

At the line, the Steve Asmussen-trained colt beat Red Route One by a nose, which was the same margin between him and Tumbarumba.