There’s zero chance of precipitation in the advance weather forecast at Penn National Race Course this Friday, May 29. That’s good news for horseplayers, who will have four turf route races -- including the $400,000 Grade 3 Penn Mile – to navigate for an All-Stakes Pick 4 in the middle of the 10-race card.
PEN 3rd Race (6:04 p.m. EST) -- MODAROSA is a deserving favorite and the horse to beat in the $75,000 Lyphard Stakes at 1-1/16 miles on the lawn. She was squeezed at the start in a 6F sprint at Aqueduct last out, cruised to the lead on her own courage, dug in through the stretch to win and galloped out powerfully. She won an allowance race at this distance on the Gulfstream Park lawn under a “mild drive” but gave way on the lead in a follow-up grass route against three $500k earners, including multiple Grade 2 winner Hang The Moon and Grade 1-placed Vixen. She will carry the hopes of our Pick 4 ticket as a solo play.
PEN 4th Race (6:37 p.m. EST) -- Local star FIERCE AND STRONG arrives for his title defense in the $75,000 Alphabet Soup Handicap with the same ultra-consistent and versatile form that led to a 6-for-9 record on the Penn National lawn. He sprinted to a commanding lead through middle fractions of :45.26 and 1:09.21 on a yielding course last year and desperately held on to win. SHARP TONES benefited from the fast pace and rallied to finish 2-1/4 lengths behind FIERCE AND STRONG. He hasn’t raced on turf since then, but he won a $40,000 optional claiming race on the main track last out and, more importantly, had a rough trip in his seasonal debut against next-out Pimlico Special (G-3) runner-up Maclean’s Rook and $760k earner Lure Him In. He “lost early position” in that race, checked in traffic at the half-mile pole and finished well while 5-wide. He’s worth using on the Pick 4 ticket at 12-1. EFF THIRTY FIVE, the beaten 2-to-5 favorite in last year’s Lyphard, makes his seasonal debut. He usually rallies from the clouds but might be a bit closer in here off a 5F bullet workout in 1:00.80. His late kick is enhanced with the added presence of rail-sitter BARTLETT, who went wire-to-wire in 6 of his last 11 starts at various venues. If a projected fast pace completely falls apart and UNCLE HEAVY adapts to turf, he poses a late-running upset chance.
PEN 5th Race (7:12 p.m. EST) -- VEKOMA VIEW lost a couple lengths on the final turn behind a back-pedaling rival, but she regained rail momentum, finished 2-1/4 lengths behind repeat winner Tam Tam – who just missed in the Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes next out – and led past the wire. Trainer George Weaver is 15-for-63 the last three years with turf horses off 2-plus months. FINAL ACCORD, the lone stakes winner in the $150,000 Penn Oaks, returned from ankle surgery but ran into trouble in the 5-1/2F Mamzelle Stakes. She steadied into the turn and hit a stretch traffic jam, losing all chance to challenge Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Cy Fair and Grade 3 winner Slay The Day.
PEN 6th race (7:51 p.m. EST) -- Seven 3-year-olds will be looking for their first graded stakes win in the $400,000 Penn Mile. HONEY DUTCH tries to upstage six consecutive in-the-money finishes since his maiden win at Kentucky Downs. He earned the field’s best 92 Beyer in the Grade 1 American Turf last out, building a commanding lead into the final turn before the two deep-closing favorites passed by. The one-mile distance suits him well. TEDDY’S ROCKET was a debut winner at Saratoga and got beat 1-1/2 lengths in a Grade 1 follow-up as a 2-year-old, but he was dull in a slow-paced seasonal debut after he nearly unseated jockey Manny Franco at the start. Trainer Miguel Clement reiterated to Daily Racing Form writer Patrick Moquin that TEDDY’S ROCKET “is one of my most talented horses this year.” ALPYLAND finished 2-1/2 lengths behind HONEY DUTCH but he won 4 of his 5 previous starts, spanning three different tracks and winning three times at today’s distance. Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse seeks his record fourth Penn Mile victory. IMMORTALISED starts fresh off a three-race winning streak, beating next-out winners in all of them. Hall of Fame jockey John Velzaquez will be aboard. CLASSIC NOFTY beat a very weak field to win a one-mile allowance in his first try on turf, but he looked good doing it. He split rivals at the top of the stretch and was full of run pulling away to an easy victory.
Suggested 50-Cent Pick 4 Ticket
Pen 3rd Race: 5
Pen 4th Race: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8
Pen 5th Race: 1, 5
Pen 6th Race: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Cost: $25
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