A wide post and trip down the backside couldn’t stop Scaramouche from clinching his first graded win Saturday in the $300,000 Gallant Bob S. (G2) at Parx.
Breaking from post 13 in the six-furlong dash for three-year-olds, Scaramouche was off well and was within close range of the leaders in fourth after a quarter-mile and around the far turn. Aided by a strong pace of :21.97 and :45.03 set by Speaking, Scaramouche rallied to the lead in upper stretch and fended off a late bid from Of a Revolution to win by a half-length.
Owned by Nicholas Cammarano Jr. and trained by Guadalupe Preciado, Scaramouche returned $20.20 after completing the trip in 1:10.38 over a fast track under John Velazquez. Of a Revolution had a two length advantage over Runninsonofagun, while the favored Provocateur finished eighth.
A gelded son of Munnings, Scaramouche has earned all six career wins at Parx, the site of seven of his nine career starts. Victorious in the March 8 Rittenhouse Square S. in his stakes debut, Scaramouche later finished fifth in the Bay Shore (G3) at Aqueduct and third in the Concern S. at Laurel in two other stakes attempts. He’s now bankrolled $372,660.
Bred in Kentucky by Stoneway Farm and sold most recently for $20,000 at OBS as a juvenile, Scaramouche was produced by Haunting, a daughter of Bernardini.
Dual Grade 1 veteran Mind Control endured another tight finish in the $200,000 Parx Dirt Mile. The winner by a head in the 2021 renewal, Mind Control crossed the wire a neck behind 12-1 chance Far Mo Power in his title defense, but was elevated to first by the stewards after he was brushed by the first-place finisher during the stretch run.
“I had a good trip until that moment at the top of the stretch. My horse is a fighter but when he came out and touched him, I was OK, but he got a little intimidated, but my horse got head and head with him again,” jockey John Velazquez said. “Then I thought, ‘I got him.’ Then at the sixteenth pole he hit him back left-handed and he touched him, kind of got him off balance. That really got my horse intimidated and off balance and I couldn’t get back on it.”
Owned by Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable, Mind Control paid $3.20 as the 3-5 favorite. Far Mo Power was placed second, with 30-1 chance Dontmesawithme nearly a dozen lengths back in third.
This edition of the Parx Dirt Mile was the 10th career stakes win for the Todd Pletcher-trained Mind Control. His Grade 1 tallies came early in his career, in the 2018 Hopeful and 2019 H. Allen Jerkens, both at Saratoga. Earlier this season, Mind Control notched the Salvator Mile (G3) and was most recently third in the Charles Town Classic (G2). A six-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Stay Thirsty, Mind Control has bankrolled more than $1.77 million.
Odds-on favorite Fearless finished well up the track in the $200,000 Greenwood Cup (G3) over 1 1/2 miles. The race was won, in wire-to-wire fashion, by 8-1 fifth choice Ridin With Biden under Paco Lopez. Magic Michael finished second, eight lengths clear of Brooklyn Strong. Fearless finished seventh in the field of eight.
Owned by Cash is King and LC Racing, Ridin With Biden returned $19.20 after completing the course in 2:32.92. The four-year-old son of Constitution is trained by Butch Reid and has now won five of 17 starts and more than $385,000. The Grade 3-placed Kentucky-bred had earned his first stakes win on July 30 at Laurel, taking the Deputed Testamony S. by 6 1/4 lengths.
That’s Right won for the fourth time in his past five starts in wire-to-wire fashion in the $300,000 Turf Monster S. (G3), negotiating five furlongs in :57.66 on firm ground.
Owned by James Shannon Jr., trained by Michael Moore, and ridden by Andy Hernandez, That’s Right paid $7.40. Finishing 1 1/2 lengths behind in second was Boat’s a Rockin, with Dr. Duke an further half-length behind in third. Uncle Ernie, the 2-1 favorite, finished ninth in the field of 11.
This was the second stakes win for That’s Right, who landed the July 17 My Frenchman S. at Monmouth Park by 3 1/4 lengths. He more than doubled his career earnings to $318,400.
