Ben’s Cat and Bridgetown, who commenced their turf sprint rivalry a year ago
in the $150,000
Parx Dash
Handicap, will meet again in the five-furlong Parx Racing feature on Friday.
Elevated to Grade 3 status this season, the Parx Dash attracted five others,
including Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup hero Tightend Touchdown.
Second in this event two years ago, Ben’s Cat rebounded to take the 2012
edition by two lengths over Bridgetown. The popular King Leatherbury-trained
gelding, who has 16 career stakes wins including two renewals of the Turf
Monster Handicap at Parx, bested Bridgetown again in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint
at Pimlico in mid-May. However, a rough-trip third from post 10 ended his
winning streak at three in the June 1 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup at Penn
National.
Bridgetown fared marginally better in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup,
finishing 5 1/2 lengths second to the improving four-year-old Tightend
Touchdown. While Bridgetown seeks his first win since the Woodford at Keeneland
last October, Tightend Touchdown is in search of his fourth straight after a
blazing performance over the Penn National grass. Claimed for $35,000 earlier
this year by Jason Servis, the gelding sizzled through splits of :21 2/5 and :43
before finishing up in :54 3/5, virtually tying the course record for
five-eighths of a mile.
Others of note in the Parx Dash are Spring to the Sky, who split Ben’s Cat
and Bridgetown in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint two back; Wild Memories, a two-time
winner over the local turf; and the stakes-placed Luckysdream, whose stock would
rise in the event the race is transferred from turf to dirt.
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