Eleven to compete in wide-open Penn Mile

Night Prowler enters the Penn Mile with a pair of Grade 3 wins, including the Transylvania (Keeneland/Coady Photography) Saturday’s $500,000 Penn Mile (G3) at Penn National, elevated this year to Grade 3 status, figures to be a fascinating handicapping and betting exercise. Eleven three-year-olds have entered the grass test, and a majority are worthy win candidates. The most familiar name in the lineup is Ocho Ocho Ocho (Street Sense), who captured the Delta Downs Jackpot (G3) in November but faltered as a classic candidate this spring. Third in the Blue Grass (G1) two back, he finished 14th in the Kentucky Derby (G1) last time. However, the dark bay has never run on turf, although he has the potential to handle it descending from Street Cry and Horse Chestnut. “I think he’ll like the grass. The distance he’ll like. I don’t have any doubts. He’s pretty keen to go. I don’t see any negativity,” trainer Jim Cassidy said.

Also invading from the West Coast is Papacoolpapacool (Temple City), a
comfortable winner of the $80,000 Pasadena and $79,000 La Puente at Santa Anita,
the latter at odds of 1-2. He is undefeated in three outings since joining the
Phil D’Amato barn.

“He handles his foes pretty easily in his races, and he’s just been training
lights out,” D’Amato said. “It made my decision to ship out there easy to test
the waters.”

Night Prowler (Giant’s Causeway), the morning line favorite at 3-1, will be
looking to add to his graded stakes trophy collection after wins in the
Transylvania (G3) and Dania Beach (G3) earlier this season. In between those
wins, the Chad Brown trainee was a rough-trip fifth in the Palm Beach (G3).

Woodwin W (More Than Ready) has started his career with four straight wins,
the most recent being a three-quarters of a length score in the $100,000 James
W. Murphy at Pimlico on the Preakness undercard two weeks ago. The runner-up,
stakes winner Force the Pass (Speightstown), is back to oppose.

Others who might move forward are Granny’s Kitten (Kitten’s Joy), who has won
both starts including a Churchill Downs allowance May 10; Commanche’s Storm
(Pollard’s Vision), runner-up in the $75,000 English Channel at Gulfstream last
time; and High Noon Rider (Distorted Humor), runner-up to Force the Pass in the
$60,000 Cutler Bay at Gulfstream prior to a recent allowance win.

Ben’s Cat slipped inside Bold Thunder to take the Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico two weeks ago (Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) Grass stakes winners My Point Exactly (Concord Point) and Tuba (Magna Graduate) have also been entered. The venerable Ben’s Cat (Parkers’s Storm Cat), who earned his 24th career stakes win May 15 when taking the Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico, headlines the $150,000 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup, a five-furlong turf dash. This will be Ben’s Cat’s fourth appearance in the Governor’s Cup. The nine-year-old, King Leatherbury charge won in 2011, was fourth in 2012, and third in 2013.

His main rivals figure to be the pair he just defeated at Old Hilltop — Jim
McKay runner-up Bold Thunder (Bold n’ Flashy) and third-placer Amelia’s Wild
Ride (D’wildcat). Trying turf for a second time is Fabulous Kid (Congrats), a
sharp second-level allowance winner over the main track at Parx last time.

The $200,000

Mountainview H., a nine-furlong, main-track test for older horses, has
attracted a number of graded stakes winners. Early favorites on the morning line
are Grade 3 scorers Albano (Istan), who won the Maxxam Gold Cup two back and was
second in the New Orleans H. (G2) last time, and Golden Lad (Medaglia d’Oro),
who captured the Essex H. in February prior to a fourth in the Oaklawn H. (G2).

Other notables include Dwyer (G3) winner Kid Cruz (Lemon Drop Kid); Indiana
Derby (G2) hero East Hall (Graeme Hall); Mineshaft H. (G3) victor Street Babe
(Street Sense); and the competitive-looking trio of Farhaan (Jazil), Cousin
Stephen (Proud Citizen), and Nowalking (Hard Spun).

Strict Compliance (Into Mischief), who was entered in Saturday’s American
Oaks (G1) at Santa Anita, will reportedly skip that race in favor of the
$150,000
Penn Oaks over a mile on the turf. The Chad Brown pupil missed by a neck in
her debut before reeling off back-to-back wins at Gulfstream and Keeneland.

Quality Rocks (Rock Hard Ten), winner of the Florida Oaks (G3) and runner-up
in the Sweetest Chant (G3) and Edgewood (G3) this term, looks like the one to
beat. Also among the field of eight are multiple stakes winner Red Sashay (Big
Brown) and the Grade/Group 3-placed Prize Exhibit (Showcasing) and Pangburn
(Congrats).

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