Hessonite seeking return to winner’s circle in Dr. James
Penny Memorial
Twelve months ago, Hessonite put in a nice rally to be second in the
Dr.
James Penny Memorial at Parx Racing, and on Tuesday the chestnut mare will
try her luck once again in that $250,000 race, which will carry Grade 3 status
this time around.
The David Donk trainee captured five of her next six races, all against
stakes company and including a three-quarter length victory in the Beaugay to
open her five-year-old season. She followed up that May 4 event with a subpar
sixth-place run just 21 days later in the Sheepshead Bay over the soft going at
Belmont Park.
Jockey John Velazquez was aboard for the first three races of Hessonite’s
career, and will be in the saddle Tuesday as the daughter of Freud tries to get
back to her winning ways.
Looking to keep that from happening will be Miz Ida. The Steve
Margolis-conditioned four-year-old is exiting a 1 1/4-length score in the Mint
Julep at Churchill Downs on June 8, her first win since taking the Valley View
at Keeneland last October. The Proud Citizen filly has traveled all over the
Midwest circuit during the course of her 12-race career, registering starts at
six different tracks, and will add Parx to that tally thanks to this one.
Shaun Bridgmohan is coming off his second meet title at Churchill Downs, and
will try to carry that winning form forward into the Dr. James Penny as Miz
Ida’s regular rider.
Pianist will have Mike Smith aboard as she looks for a second straight graded
win following a wire job in the Gallorette Handicap on Pimlico’s May 18
Preakness undercard. The chestnut daughter of More Than Ready actually made her
graded debut in last year’s Valley View, winding up fourth while two lengths
behind Miz Ida, but could not be caught in the Gallorette for trainer Chad
Brown.
Laughing will likely be scratched out of the Dr. James Penny after taking
Saturday’s Eatontown at Monmouth Park, while Peace Preserver and Dinner’s Out
are both cross-entered to the Fairy Garden at Belmont Park on Independence Day.
That leaves Grade 3 scorers Somali Lemonade and Naples Bay to complete the
field. The former made her seasonal bow on June 1 at Belmont, finishing just 1
3/4 lengths behind the winner in fourth, while Naples Bay was fifth in the
Beaugay in her 2013 opener last out.
Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com