The 2014 Pennsylvania Derby (G2)

Parx Racing

Date: Sept. 20, 2014         Post Time: 5:40 PM (ET)         Distance: 1 1/8 mile (dirt)         Purse: $1,000,000

Parx Racing’s biggest day of the year is only hours away and features the $1,000,000 Cotillion Stakes G1 and the $1,000,000 Pennsylvania Derby G2. Last year, D. Wayne Lukas celebrated the victory as Luis Saez galloped Will Take Charge to the wire, two and one-quarter lengths ahead of Moreno. And, in 2011, Jose Lezcano piloted the William Mott trained colt, To Honor and Serve, to a record seventeen-length win and stellar time of 1:47.34.

The field for the 2014 Pennsylvania Derby is a talented bunch, but all the buzz is due, in large part, to this year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, California Chrome. Back from vacation, America’s horse will meet Tapiture, Candy Boy and Bayern — who have all taken huge strides during his time off — once again. The even-money favorite will also meet the likes of Protonico, Noble Moon, Classic Giacnroll, and C J’s Awesome. All ready to take their shot at greatness.

Saturday will undoubtedly be the most exciting event to occur in Pennsylvania for racing fans this year, as it highlights the return of the king.


Official Contenders & Post Positions

PP – ContenderJockeyTrainerOdds
1 – California ChromeVictor EspinozaArt Sherman1-1
2 – Candy BoyJoel RosarioJohn W. Sadler10-1
3 – ProtonicoJavier CastellanoTodd Pletcher8-1
4 – BayernMartin GarciaBob Baffert7-2
5 – Noble MoonIrad Ortiz Jr.Leah Gyarmati15-1
6 – Classic GiacnrollKendrick CarmoucheLisa Guerrero15-1
7 – TapitureRosie NapravnikSteven Asmussen5-1
8 – C J’s AwesomeEdgar S. PradoKenny McPeek12-1

The Maiden’s Take

The King

1)     California Chrome – Art Sherman’s superstar colt captured the heart of the nation with his humble beginnings and heart of a champion, making believers out of those who had never stepped foot on a track or given thoroughbred racing the time of day. It’s hard to look back on June 7th without feeling broken hearted about the outcome. While there are those that will preach the California-bred colt never had it in him to win the Belmont, the simple fact of the matter is that the Belmont became a completely different race the moment California Chrome was stepped on coming out of the gate. A gash on the the coronary band is equivalent to a gash on the arch of the foot. Picture that. Now ask yourself, would you have run a mile and a half with a sliced up foot? Most likely not. The fact that he finished fourth merits a standing ovation, and, to be frank, everyone that is hating on this colt because of an ill-timed comment made by Steve Coburn — Please, just stop. We all make mistakes. Let’s be adults and move on. This brilliant son of Lucky Pulpit is ALL heart and gives everything he’s got when he sets hoof on the track. Back from a 3-month vacation, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner has been in serious beast mode, putting in solid works and looking as ripped as the hulk. Forget all the variables. If there is anything California Chrome loves more than running, it is winning and the thrill of competition.

The Nobles:

1)     Bayern – The speedy son of Offlee Wild shook a monster loose and lead a jaw-dropping wire to wire win in the Haskell Invitational, but his front-running, “you can’t catch me,” style backfired badly, and he finished dead last in last month’s Travers Stakes. The colt was one of my favorites in the Preakness, but gate trouble sabotaged his run. I was doubtful about him in the Haskell, and he left me speechless. He made me sweat during the Travers, but I never expected him to fade that badly. At this point, Bayern is my x-factor in the race. He’s done well at this distance, but he’s such a loose canon it’s hard to put a finger on him. Then again if he’s back on his A-game, that monster we saw back in July may just come out and shock us once again. Proceed with caution. This is Russian Roulette at its finest.

2)     Tapiture – Winchell Thoroughbreds’ entry had no room to move in this year’s Kentucky Derby,  but later won the Matt Winn G3 and rallied Candy Boy to triumph, by a nose, in last month’s West Virginia Derby. The Steve Asmussen trained colt is by Tapit and shares his grand sire, Pulpit, with California Chrome. His clocked time going a mile and an eighth is still slower than the above contenders, but he’s been training well and has a Beyer of 101. Rosie Napravnik has been riding him well and based on past performances it looks as if he’ll be alongside Chrome, as he shows a liking for running in third and fourth. If anyone is to beat the king, Tapiture is a solid contender.

3)     Candy Boy – Another horse to fall victim to the heavy traffic of the Kentucky Derby, Candy Boy will meet California Chrome for a third since the Santa Anita Derby. This son of Candy Ride last galloped to a victory in February, but he’s come in second, twice, to Shared Belief, and that is not to be taken lightly. Corey Nakatani rode the colt beautifully in the West Virginia Derby where he was denied the win by Tapiture in a photo finish at the wire. John Sadler will have Joel Rosario aboard for C R K Stable, and although I am a huge fan of Rosari, this combination doesn’t quite do it for me. Play this one in your superfecta for third or fourth.

The Knights:

1)     Protonico – Giant’s Causeway and A.P. Indy adorn this 3-year-old’s bloodlines, and though he is one of the “babies” in Saturday’s field, it is notable to mention that he finished third to a victorious V.E. Day, who beat Wicked Strong and Tonalist in last month’s Travers Stakes. He ran to win his first graded stakes three weeks ago in the Smarty Jones G3, and edged out Classic Giacnroll by a half length. The Todd Pletcher trained colt also seems to be a great tactical runner that can hang-ten in mid-pack or stalk the pace, but with Bayern to his right there’s a big chance he’ll get taken out when the gates open. He’ll meet his rival, Noble Moon, once again and will have his Hall of Fame jockey, Javier Castellano, back in the irons. At 8-1 he is a nice play in a trifecta or superfecta.

2)     Classic Giacnroll – The only reason this Lisa Guerrero trained colt saved himself from ranking as a Peasant is because he’s run in a handful of well regarded graded stakes and has finished in the top four all four times. He is a mid-pack trailer with tactical speed, and his move from 7th to 2nd in the Smarty Jones G3, earlier this month, goes to show he can kick into high gear on the stretch. However, he hasn’t won anything since September of last year and, frankly, doesn’t pose as much of a threat in the line-up. With that being said, the 15-1 long shot is going to need the rest of the field to fall apart in order to win this one. Kendrick Carmouche up.

3)     Noble Moon – This colt looks to have the upper hand on Classic Giacnroll, whom he beat by two lengths in the Jerome Stakes G2. He ran to sixth in the Wood Memorial against Wicked Strong and recently finished fourth at Saratoga in the Kings Bishop G1. He seems likely to rally Protonico in this weekend’s Penn Derby, but the 15-1 long-shot, by A.P. Indy, does not impress on replays or on paper. Leah Gyarmati has won 13 of 83 starts and racked up over $1,000,000 in 2014, but the caliber of horses in this field will require Irad Ortiz Jr. to perform a miracle.

The Peasants:

1)     C J’s Awesome – Trainer Kenny McPeek is well-known for running winners, and his entry in Saturday’s Penn Derby is quite appealing. A son of Awesome Again, C J’s Awesome has had eight career starts, but he has yet to run in anything above an Allowance. On paper, he seems out-classed, but he ran his 1¼ mile MSW in 2:04³ — just one second slower than California Chrome’s Kentucky Derby time — and he won his last start, on September 1st, by a dashing 7 ¼ lengths. He may not be as quick as Bayern, but this colt likes to set the pace. He’ll chase Bayern, but in trying to catch that beast he’ll tire and I don’t think he’ll be quite ready to outrun California Chrome, who will be stalking closely behind. Edgar Prado will have his second consecutive ride aboard the 12-1 colt.

The Maiden’s Ten Dollar Crusade

$0.10 Superfecta for $7.20  →  1, 7 / 1, 4, 7 / 2-4, 7, 8 / 2-8

$3.00 Trifecta →  1 – 7 – 4

Follow The Maiden on Twitter --> @Claudia_WMS


Through the Eyes of the Mad Capper

The Kings:

1)     California Chrome- Art Sherman’s prized colt took the horse racing world on an unforgettable ride through the first six months of this year. The chestnut son of Lucky Pulpit registered five consecutive victories in 2014, three of which being Grade I contests where he galloped away from some of the country’s finest three-year-old thoroughbreds. California Chrome was on the brink of racing immortality as he loaded into the gates for the Belmont Stakes, but this accolade was not to be. Chrome would cross the line in a tiring fourth that day, and the pandemonium that followed was a result of the poorly chosen words spoken by co-owner Steve Coburn. The Belmont Stakes is little more than a distant memory, but fans and handicappers alike are hesitant to return in full force to the corner of our sport’s most gifted star.

California Chrome has not raced in three months. The long layoff has many naysayers speculating that he will be far from his very best. Then, there are those who simply cannot back Chrome due to the comments that Coburn made about Tonalist and his connections back in New York. Is the rail draw a problem? Has the foot fully healed? Are his workouts leading up to the race enough to make us believe again? Dr. Seuss once said it best as he declared, “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.” In the Pennsylvania Derby, the answers are positively simple. This is a moderately talented field with a lone superstar. People will research and dig relentlessly for reasons to play against Art Sherman’s colt, but in the end, their efforts will go for naught. All that is gold may not glitter, but the brightest star in racing remains the horse that is made out of Chrome.

The Nobles:

1)     Protonico- Todd Pletcher trains this lightly raced son of Giant’s Causeway that will be making just his sixth lifetime start. His third place effort in the Curlin Stakes was flattered by V.E. Day coming up victorious in the Travers. Javier Castellano is quite possibly the planet’s most talented jockey. For Pletcher to acquire his services here certainly speaks volumes about the horse’s potential. Protonico has had the good fortune of a previous trip over the Parx surface. This came last out and the result was a win in the Smarty Jones Stakes, a trip that was clearly troubled, yet he was still able to run down Classic Giacnroll before they reached the wire.

2)     Bayern- Bayern proved the Mad Capper wrong in the Haskell, and followed that up by proving him wrong again in the Travers. Bob Baffert’s colt is definitely the speed of the speed in the Pennsylvania Derby, but which Bayern will be finishing this race? Martin Garcia is an excellent front-end rider and this could be hugely advantageous. If he is at his best, look for the son of Offlee Wild to finish a fading second to our top choice. If he is off of his game, he will be lucky to out finish our peasants.

3)     Tapiture-  Rosie Napravnik has been granted the mount on the Steve Asmussen trained colt whose form is as sharp as any. Tapiture has been able to piece together consecutive wins. These victories came in the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs, followed by a win over fellow entry Candy Boy in the West Virginia Derby. This son of Tapit has four wins from ten lifetime starts, and he may have his best outings still ahead of him. Tapiture cannot be overlooked as a major player in Pennsylvania.

The Knights:

1)     Noble Moon- This Malibu Moon offspring has tremendous upside and room for improvement.His outings in the both the King’s Bishop and Wood Memorial were less than jaw-dropping, but Leah Gyarmati knows how to prepare a horse for battle. Recent works suggest that a career best here is not out of the question. Irad Ortiz will be in the irons as Noble Moon breaks from post number five.

2)     Candy Boy- John Sadler is not accustomed to playing second fiddle to anyone, but when it comes to Candy Boy, second fiddle is generally the best he can get. The son of Candy Ride has already lost to the likes of Shared Belief, California Chrome, and Tapiture. He has just two wins in ten lifetime starts, and his last came back in early February. Many prognosticators believe that Candy Boy is sitting on a big race, but even with Joel Rosario in the saddle, we do not. Candy Boy is an above average horse who produces above average results. Look for him to round out the superfecta here.

The Peasants:

1)     Classic Giacnroll- Classic Giacnroll has started seven races in 2014, none resulting in victory. He last raced at Parx versus allowance level competition in July. This was a second place finish to a lesser known horse named Snake Pit. Lisa Guerrero trains and Kendrick Carmouche will ride, but expect nothing less than this son of Giacamo to get classically rolled in the Pennsylvania Derby.

2)     C J’s Awesome- Kenny McPeek’s colt is quite capable of running straight to the lead. Unfortunately, if he chooses to do so, Bayern might simply run him into the ground. This son of Awesome Again took six tries to break his maiden. Following the maiden score, McPeek next opted to enter him in allowance level races at Saratoga. He was triumphant in his most recent outing at the mile and one-eighth distance, but the time was not one that would pose a threat to the field in Pennsylvania.

The Mad Capper’s Ten Dollar Crusade

$1.00 Exacta → 1 / 3

$1.00 Superfecta for $9.00 →  1 / 3,4 / 3,7 / 2,3,4,5,7

Follow The Mad Capper on Twitter --> @Matticapper