Mother Nature disrupted the scheduled start of the Grade 3 Penn Mile twice this month, but the show that includes an All-Turf stakes Pick 4 is set to go again this Friday, June 27, at Penn National. Weather permitting, here’s a closer look at the 50-cent wager that starts with two 12-horse fields:
PEN 3rd race (6:00 p.m. EST) -- The $75,000 Lyphard Stakes for Pennsylvania-bred fillies and mares is loaded with speed, so the Pick 4 hopes will rest on the two most proven grass routers in the field. PRINCESS JAVONCIA, a $250k turf earner, challenged for the lead on the final turn but tired in mid-stretch in her seasonal debut at this distance at Laurel Park. The performance was enhanced when race winner Livelovenlaughter came back to repeat in the 6F Jameela Stakes. She has post 11 to deal with but lures Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat to ride. LADY OUTOFTHE BLUE, part of an uncouple three-horse entry for trainer Michael Matz, made a last-to-second rally in last year’s Lyphard, missing in a photo finish. She later won a restricted stakes on a ‘yielding’ Penn National lawn at this distance and finished third in a crowded allowance at Laurel Park behind turf tigress Paper Mansion (12-16 on turf).
PEN 4th race (6:35 p.m. EST) -- Don’t sleep on 20-1 rail-sitter TREVESSO, my top pick in the $75,000 Alphabet Soup Handicap. He made an eye-catching, last-to-first move when he won a PA-bred turf stakes at Parx a year ago, projects a similar type of trip in here and hails from a hot barn off a series of good 5F workouts. But still go deep in this leg of the Pick 4. Locally-based FIERCE AND STRONG won five of his last 10 starts at various venues and distances and his tactical speed comes in handy in this speed-laden field. He rallied to win a 2X allowance sprint two weeks before this race was originally carded May 30. EFF THIRTY FIVE has four allowance wins and three losses by a neck in the last year. He has the right running style but will be an underlay with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard for trainer Brittany Russell. MOVISITOR is a longshot worth using. He was 0-4 on turf early in her career, with one of three graded stakes setbacks coming in the 2023 Penn Mile. But he is a different horse since Marya Montoya took over the training, with four wire-to-wire allowance victories by a combined 16 lengths with an average 90 Beyer.
PEN 5th race (7:10 p.m. EST) -- LAURELIN is perfect in three starts, won her second one-mile stakes race off an eight-month layoff and could control the pace from her outside post in a field that lacks speed. She is the top play $150,000 Penn Oaks. Trainer Chad Brown looks to enhance his 23-percent ‘repeat’ rate with uncoupled Maiden Special Weight turf route winners ACCENT and MIDWAY MEMORIES.
PEN 6th race (7:45 p.m. EST) -- ZULU KINGDOM (pictured) collared and edged past clear pace-setter MI BAGO in the Grade 1 American Turf Stakes at 1-1/16 miles on Kentucky Derby day. But the Churchill Downs turf clearly favored closers that day, a sign that the rematch could go down to the wire in the Grade 3 Penn Mile.
Suggested 50-Cent Ticket
PEN 3rd Race: 8, 11
PEN 4th Race: 1, 3, 4, 9
PEN 5th Race: 1, 3, 6, 9
PEN 6th Race: 4, 7
Cost: $32
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