Philly Big 5 Races at Parx
I was looking around on my phone while I was working on Tuesday, and I saw that Parx has a mandatory distribution of their Philly Big 5, and like I have done a few times here on Bleacher Brothers, I thought it would be a good opportunity to dabble with this wager since you will not be the only winner to win the entire pool. Everyone that will have 5 of 5 will share the pot as everything must go.
The Philly Big 5 will be races 6 through 10 today and will have my attention. Races 6 and 8 will be on the turf course and our adopted horse Uncle Ernie will be running in the ninth race in the featured allowance race. Also, if you are also intrigued by what is going to be available to bettors today, there is a carryover of $272,980 going into these races today. The opportunity is there to make a ton of money today if you are interested, or you can look at the five races singly like I am also going to do for you here today.
Race 6
We begin with a maiden claiming race on the turf here to being the sequence. We have an overflow field of 14 maidens in this seven and a half furlong race on the grass with up to 10 horses running in this race. The 11 Nomar’s Hope (20/1 morning line), 12 Bubby Papermaker (15/1 ML) and 13 Keep It Salty (20/1 ML) are also eligibles and will need scratches from the first 10 horses in the program to get in. The 14 Bijah Again (6/1 ML) is entered for the main track only, and barring anything unforeseen, will be scratched.
Favored is the 8 Starforce (3/1 ML) who showed nothing at Penn National and comes east on I-76 to Parx. She had a good race in her return to the races at the beginning of the month in a maiden special weight where she had the lead, lost it and came back again to just miss. But it seems like this horse is Jekyll and Hyde with one okay race and one bad race. That might mean a good race is in the offing.
The 1 Social Joe (5/1 ML) draws the rail, but he has been running well on the turf in his last two races at Penn National. But will be find the way to the winner’s circle finally? He comes into this race 0 for 36 lifetime.
The 7 Omaha Eight (7/2 ML) has shown nothing in six starts, but he drops to this claiming tag today and gets Paco Lopez to ride. He might show up on the turf. Note that the turf race in February at Gulfstream is probably much tougher then than is a turf race this time of the year there.
The 2 Social Acceptance is also drawing my eye as he drops and fits into the same angle where his lone turf race was much tougher last September, but this one was at Saratoga.
This is a tough race to start off the mandatory payout. I’ll take a swing on the 7 Omaha Eight on the drop, surface chance and what I feel is a positive jockey change I’ll call this 7-1-8-2.
Race 7
Nine three-year-old filles will then take to the main track and go six and a half furlongs on the main track in an optional claiming race.
The 4 Big Dreamer (3/1 ML) is favored here and she debuted at Parx by breaking her maiden. She is second race off of the layoff and she is going to go for the lead. She did that in her last two races at Gulfstream and did that again last month when the she returned to the dirt after running on the Tapeta.
Big Dreamer could have company on the front end. The 5 Sirani (5/1 ML) has gunned for the front the last two times, including an attempt on the turf last time. She will probably go for the lead again here but she hasn’t been there at the end lately. The 3 Kokopelli Girl (8/1) will be next to the favorite and appears to be a front runner too.
The 1 Bailintin (4/1 ML) went for the lead last time out but that does not appear to be her running style. She will probably be a couple of lengths of the pace and looking to strike in the stretch.
Diane’s Merlot (#9, 6/1 ML) was on the lead in an off the turf race at Delaware, but she does look like she could rate as well. I wouldn’t necessarily toss her here.
The 7 Missy Sixtysix (9/2 ML) was claimed last time out by Jamie Ness, where he wins 32% of the time first race off of the claim. Her maiden win was from off the pace, and she should be stalking behind the leaders dueling down the backstretch. She will be in great position to pounce when the frontrunners tire. I’ll call this 7-1-9-4.
Race 8
We go back to the turf for another seven and a half furlong race and this time, we have optional claimers going here. We have a field of 15 horses, with 4 also eligibles this time and a main track only entrant.
The 3 Lord Knows (3/1 ML) is favored here and just missed as he closed well and just missed in a blanket finish.
The 1 King Swansboro (12/1 ML) has a couple of sneaky nice races on the turf at Laurel near the end of last year. Don’t be surprised if he has a much better result here returning to the turf.
The 9 Smoke Wagon (7/2 ML) broke his maiden on the synthetic at Turfway Park in March and was claimed that evening. We will see what a change of scenery and heading to the turf will do. Ignore that Kentucky Downs from last September. That’s such a tough course to run and many horses have failed there.
The 10 C C Goldrush (6/1 ML) ran well at this exact level last time out at Parx and just missed. He could be stalking any frontrunners or maybe even be on the lead. Either way, I wouldn’t toss him today.
I’m swinging for the fences here. I think King Swansboro could get ignored here and steal this race at long odds. Let’s call this 1-3-10-9.
Race 9 – Uncle Ernie Race
Uncle Ernie (6/1 ML) returns to the races today after running in a PA-bred allowance going seven furlongs. The modus operandi for him is plain and simple. If he goes for the lead and gets it, he will win. If he doesn’t get the lead, he will flounder in the stretch. Personally, I’d like to see him in a six-furlong race, but this was probably the race that was available for him.
The 2 Spikezone (3/1 ML) is favored here and this is a gelding that is pure speed. He may be too fast for Ernie, but with the 3 Twisted Ride (9/2 ML) looking like he will go from the stall next to the favorite and could try to pressure the favorite here.
The 9 Counterspy (4/1 ML) has gunned for the lead in the past, but those are route races going a mile or more. He is shortening up to seven furlongs and could be stalking the frontrunners like he did in March at Parx. Ignore the Monmouth sprint. That was a stakes race on the slop which was a bad combination for him that day.
The 8 Ridin With Biden (10/1 ML) is an interesting horse in this race. He showed nothing in April in his return going a mile. He disappeared again and is coming back here running in a sprint for the first time in over two years. This looked like a race to get him back on track and see if he will get back on track and if he runs well, ends up going two turns again. There’s class relief, but this race does look tougher than your typical allowance.
The 5 Far Mo Power (7/2 ML) won the Page McKenney Handicap going this distance, but was closer to the pace. I see a similar scenario as this could meltdown for the closers.
Since I’m not picking Uncle Ernie, and not even putting him in my top four horses, he probably romps here. But I am going 5-8-9-2 here.
Race 10
We have 11 going in the finale here at Parx as the field of bottom claimers will go a mile and 70 yards on the main track. The 6 Samaronti (7/2 ML) is favored here but has shown nothing so far in 2024. But he was running against tougher.
The 1 Smarten Up (4/1 ML) showed good energy to get third in his last race last month. But other than that race, he also hasn’t shown much in 2024.
The 2 Mucho Macho Eddie (8/1 ML) has been near the front and ran well in his two races at Parx in May. He might assume the rail once they break from the gate and if he can revert to those races in May, he could be a nice priced winner.
The 5 Dad’s On a Roll (9/2 ML) has been in a good race/bad race pattern in the last four races and could be looking at a good race here. He’s a gelding that could be closing here in the stretch.
I am going to swing for the fences here again. I’ll take Mucho Macho Eddie to win here, possibly going gate to wire. I’ll call this race 2-5-1-6
My picks
Win wagers are $10 to win and is the first horse listed in my pick 5 wager.
- Race 6: 7,1,8
- Race 7: 7,1
- Race 8: 1,3
- Race 9: 5,8,9
- Race 10: 2,5
This pick 5, barring any scratches, will cost $36. If there are any significant scratches, I will try to update everyone on my X @JoeQuills.
Best of luck everyone, and check my Horseshoe Indy article for my regularly scheduled race of the day.
Check out my show “Also Eligible” on Saturday mornings at 10 am Eastern/7 am Pacific on the Bleacher Brothers’ Facebook, X, Twitch and YouTube accounts as AJ Johnson and I discuss the big races, the latest news in horse racing and much more!