Trainers Chad Brown and Brad Cox will both attempt to win their second Pennsylvania Derby following similar scripts to what worked when they won their first.
In 2016, when the Pennsylvania Derby was still a Grade 2, Brown won it with Connect, a horse who had won the first three starts of his 3-year-old season, disappointed in the Grade 1 Travers, and bounced back to win this race at 10-1 in a 12-horse field that included Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and Preakness winner Exaggerator. Saturday, in the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing, Brown will send out Unmatched Wisdom, a horse who won his first three starts this year, disappointed in the Travers, and seeks redemption at a price expected to be shorter than his 8-1 morning-line odds.
Last year, it’s sixth as a Grade 1, the Pennsylvania Derby was won by the Cox-trained Saudi Crown, a gray colt who used his speed to win the 1 1/8-mile race in front-running fashion as the even-money favorite in a field of 11. Saturday, Cox will send out the speedy gray colt Dragoon Guard, a winner of four straight races – all in front-running fashion – and the 9-5 morning-line favorite in a field of 11 that includes Preakness winner Seize the Grey and Santa Anita Derby winner Stronghold.
The Pennsylvania Derby goes as race 13 on a 14-race card that includes the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion for 3-year-old fillies featuring division leader Thorpedo Anna, and nine other stakes. First post is 11:35 a.m. Eastern.
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Aside from the fact Connect ran once at 2, his form and that of Unmatched Wisdom mirror each other. They both won maiden races in May of their 3-year-old year, an entry-level allowance in June, and the Curlin Stakes going 1 1/8 miles in July. In the Travers, Connect finished sixth, 21 3/4 lengths behind Arrogate, who won by 13 1/2 lengths. Connect came back four weeks later and rallied from midpack to win the Pennsylvania Derby, beating Gun Runner by a half-length.
In this year’s Travers, Unmatched Wisdom was bumped at the start and got hit from behind, which caused his right hind bandage to unravel during the early stages of the race. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. basically wrapped up on the horse by the quarter pole.
Brown said that Unmatched Wisdom came back with cuts on his hind legs. Those healed quick enough for the horse to get back on the work tab by Sept. 7, and he’s had three breezes at Belmont Park leading up to this. Flavien Prat, who is 3 for 3 on the horse, worked Unmatched Wisdom last weekend and “gave us the thumbs up” to run him, Brown said.
Unmatched Wisdom’s success has come when he’s involved early in the race, but Brown does not feel the horse is a need-the-lead type.
“He’s definitely a forward horse. If he breaks good I expect him to leave and be forward,” Brown said. “If there are horses faster than him, so be it, at least be up in a forward position where he seems to be most effective.”
Unmatched Wisdom breaks from post 8, one slot outside Dragoon Guard, a son of Arrogate who is 4 for 4 this year including Grade 3 victories in the Indiana Derby and West Virginia Derby. All four of his wins, including a maiden at Keeneland and allowance at Churchill Downs, came on or pressing for the lead.
“This is a very big horse, he’s got a tremendous amount of leg underneath him, you’d be shocked he has as much speed as he has,” Cox said. “He looks like a horse that has a tremendous amount of stamina, but he has speed too which makes him double tough and puts him in a position where he’s the favorite in a Grade 1.”
Seize the Grey used his speed to win the Preakness in front-running fashion. Since then, he has run seventh in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga and fourth, beaten 12 lengths by Fierceness, in the Jim Dandy. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas believes Seize the Grey didn’t like the Saratoga main track and is hoping for a rebound on a new surface.
Stronghold will be trainer Phil D’Amato’s first starter at Parx. Stronghold won the Grade 3 Sunland Derby and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby to qualify for the Kentucky Derby where he finished seventh. In his lone start since, Stronghold was beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Dragoon Guard in the Indiana Derby.
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“I thought we were stuck in a box there, Brad’s horse had a nice comfy lead and was able to kick away at the top of the lane,” D’Amato said. “We got outfooted and never had a chance to attack him until late and by then it was too late. He ran a respectable race.
“This Pennsylvania Derby, it doesn’t look like anybody is going to get an easy lead on paper.”
Timeout, third behind Unmatched Wisdom in the Curlin Stakes, and Protective, a recent maiden winner after running third in the Wood Memorial and Peter Pan and sixth in the Belmont Stakes, are in from the barns of Bill Mott and Todd Pletcher.
Just Step On It and Uncle Heavy, second and third in the Smarty Jones, the local prep for this race; Doc Sullivan, a New York-bred stakes winner; Lonesome Boy, fourth in the Wood Memorial; and the supplemental entry Who’s the King complete the field.
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