PARX PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: FEB. 24

Street Band
Street Band upset the 2019 Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing . Photo by Allison Janezic.

Parx Racing has an 11-race card on tap for this afternoon. Post time for the opener is 12:25 p.m., and we’ve got Parx picks.

How’d we do last time at Parx?

RACE NUMBERCONTENDERSCOMMENTS
Race 91-2-8-5The figs say #2 Mr. Roundtree (9-5) ought to win this contest, but there are a couple reasons we’re inclined to take a stand against. For one thing, he sure seems like a horse with seconditis: five times in 11 starts, including three straight, he’s been the runner-up. Whether he’s stalking the pace or running from the rear, he keeps finding ways to be second. For another, note that leading rider Sanchez, who’d ridden him two straight, jumps ship. Could he win? Sure, and you don’t want to ignore him in exotics. But we’ll try to knock him off with #1 El Fenomeno (5-1). This speedster’s crossed the wire first in three of four, improving race-by-race, and last time he absolutely throttled never-two rivals. Now he’ll tackle never-three company and may be the speed of the speed… Sanchez lands on another speedy sort, #8 Little Harbour (8-1), who ran a huge one last out against lesser. Can he double up? One challenge: keeping up with the inside horse early… Trainer Jamie Ness has big numbers first off the claim and here sends out #5 Southern Bridge (7-2); Ness is 10-for-53 raising horses first time off the claim…
Race 105-4-10-11A pretty good argument can be made that #5 Factor This In (3-1) ran too well to finish second last time out in a similar starter allowance. He pressed the pace as the widest of the three-horse vanguard, led narrowly in the lane, and hung in there stubbornly before just finishing second. The show horse that day — and one of his speed rivals — returned to win next out. A repeat performance could get it done today… #4 Manolete (4-1) had won three straight against similar before finishing a so-so fourth (behind our top choice and another in here) last time. He’ll need a bounceback effort but contends on best… The upset winner of that contest is back in here in the form of #10 Town Jak (8-1). He enjoyed the right trip that day but here will need to sort it out from the far outside. Also note that regular pilot Pennington goes to our top choice… #11 Flashy Kyem (5-1) has competed at this level…

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