Parx picks and horses to watch: June 22 * The Racing Biz

PARX PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: JUNE 22

*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 12:55p.m., and we’ve got Parx picks. The day starts with a carryover of $32,029 in the jackpot pick-5.

How’d we do last time at Parx?

RACE NUMBER	CONTENDERS	COMMENTS
Race 7	6-7-3-1	The $100,000 Crowd Pleaser Stakes is a turf test for three-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles. The big favorite in here is #8 Beren (9-5), who’s won four of five overall, including back-to-back stakes. Last out he won the off-the-turf Paradise Creek at Belmont Park by 10 lengths. He’s the most accomplished and fastest runner here, but we’re going to toss him for two reasons: he’s never tried turf and isn’t particularly bred for it, and he’ll be stretching out to two turns for the first time. He might love both those things, but we’re not willing to take such short odds to find out. Instead, we’ll give the nod to #6 Like a Saltshaker (3-1). The Peace and Justice gelding won the Fitz Dixon Memorial Stakes at Presque Isle last year and then ran a terrific race to be a near-miss second in the Awad on the turf at Belmont behind the talented Step Dancer. He’s been off since December but is training forwardly for trainer Larry Rivelli, who’s a win machine… #7 Kidnapped (8-1) ran very well to be third in last fall’s Laurel Futurity, then less well when up the track in the Awad after taking the early lead; he may be more comfortable tracking the leaders. He makes his third start of the year here and gets back on the lawn… #3 Extrasexybigdaddee (4-1) is stakes-placed on synthetic and has run a couple of credible races in stakes company on the turf this year, including when fourth behind Hard Love, who’s won three of four in his career… That last-out win for #1 Tipsy Chatter (8-1) may have been better than it looked: After being antsy loading into the gate, she went to the lead, was confronted turning for home, and turned away her rival to win while both were well clear of the rest. Do note that she’s a filly facing boys in here…
Race 9	8-12-4-7	In the grassy, five-furlong Power by Far Stakes, it’s hard to get past #8 Caravel (5-2). The Elizabeth Merryman trainee enters off a win in The Very One at Pimlico, a race in which she was in trouble almost continuously for the opening quarter-mile, had to slip through a tight space between horses in the lane, and then shot through to get up late. She’s won five of seven, is still improving and has a big chance here. Also, note that Florent Geroux, who rode her at Pimlico, is in to ride and, while he does have a couple other mounts on the day, this is clearly the one he came for… #12 Jakarta (7-2) doesn’t seem to be quite the horse Caravel is these days but is a legit stakes-quality runner. She looks to be the most likely upsetter here… Not a bad effort two back for #4 Tara’s Talent (10-1). She closed some ground late to be fourth, though beaten just a couple, in a second allowance at Penn National, and if the pace heats up here, she could be heard from late… #7 Captain Sam (6-1) wasn’t in great form before getting three months off prior to this contest, but if she can get back to her summer 2020 form in here, she can hit the board…