Region’s Best

FIRST STAR: OFFALY COOL. On Tuesday, Parx hosted the M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile, for older horses at a mile. Odds-on choice Nimitz Class rated in the middle of the pack, but came up empty and finished third. Meanwhile, Offaly Cool, second in each of his last two starts, set the pace, withstood early pressure, and drew off in the stretch to win by 4 3/4 lengths for his first stakes victory. The victory improved his record on the year to 3-3-1 from eight starts with earnings of $142,910, and boosted his career earnings to $165,750 with four victories. He finished a close second in the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park earlier this year. He’s owned by Lawrence Rebbecchi Jr, trained By Jacinto Solis, and ridden by Kendrick Carmouche.

SECOND STAR: CLASSIER. Though it wasn’t a stakes race on paper, Friday’s feature race at Laurel Park, an open allowance sprint, drew a stakes-quality group of older males. Classier, who won the Henry Clark Stakes earlier this year, found his best self once again and won by 3 1/4 with a sharp move on the final turn. The former Bob Baffert trainee, who won the 2021 Los Alamitos Derby, was claimed for $35,000 by Super C Racing Inc and Kieron Magee in mid-March, and has since won four races in eight starts. Carlos Lopez was aboard for his Friday victory.

THIRD STAR: THERE ARE NO WORDS. The day prior, Laurel played host to a stacked second-level allowance optional claiming grass route. The race featured an exciting blanket finish, with five horses separated by a half-length on the wire. Jersey-bred There Are No Words stalked the pace and held off the late surge of Eldest Son and the frantically closing The Addison Pour to win by a nose. It was his first win of the year in five starts, though he was stakes-placed three times at this year’s Monmouth Park meet. Jomar Torres was aboard for owners Joseph and Gayle Ioia and Chuck Spina, who also trains.

Laurel Park

FIRST STAR: CLASSIER. Life has begun again for him as a 5-year-old; will he take one more shot in stakes company before year’s end?

SECOND STAR: THERE ARE NO WORDS. Another one who might be seen against stakes foes before the end of the year.

THIRD STAR: FORTUNE’S FOOL. Rallied from way downtown to beat a solid starter optional claiming field on grass on Sunday in a 25-1 upset.

Charles Town Races

FIRST STAR: FULLY CONNECTED. Went gate-to-wire to win a second-level dash at 31-1 on Saturday.

SECOND STAR: GOLD FIBER. Made it three in a row with a front-running victory against West Virginia-bred rivals earlier on Saturday.

THIRD STAR: PHANTOM QUEEN. This West Virginia-bred filly picked up her second win in three starts against state-bred foes in an allowance dash on Thursday.

Delaware Park

FIRST STAR: ANDRES CHAVEZ. This Venezuelan native earned his first American victory on Thursday, guiding Anonymously to victory in a starter optional claiming race.

SECOND STAR: EXIT RIGHT. This prolific gelding beat first-level allowance rivals on Friday, for his fourth win and 11th in-the-money finish in 13 starts this year.

THIRD STAR: BROTHER CONWAY. Ran another big figure Wednesday while taking a starter optional claiming sprint as the odds-on choice.

Parx Racing

FIRST STAR: OFFALLY COOL. Finally put it all together to take the M.P. Ballezzi on the front end.

SECOND STAR: VALUABLE BREIGH. Earned her fourth straight victory on Monday as she took a starter allowance field gate-to-wire.

THIRD STAR: ROB THE RICH. Continued a winning streak of his own on Tuesday, as he surged to victory in a second-level sprint for his third straight triumph.