California Chrome to be tested in Pennsylvania Derby

By foxsports
Published

Racing's springtime hero makes his long-awaited return to the races this Saturday, three months after his failed attempt at the Triple Crown. Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner California Chrome will break from the rail as the even-money choice in Parx Racing's $1 million Pennsylvania Derby.

The 1 1/8-mile contest drew a field of eight, with some stiff competition lining up to challenge the dual classic winner. The race's filly counterpart, the $1 million Cotillion Stakes, also drew a salty field of nine sophomores, making for an entertaining day at the track. Watch both races on the America's Best Racing livestream beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Bayern enters the Pennsylvania Derby coming off a disappointing last-place finish in Saratoga's Travers Stakes last month. The colt was made the favorite in that race after romping to victories in the Woody Stephens and the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational, with the latter run at the same 1 1/8-mile distance as the Pennsylvania Derby. The son of Offlee Wild will break from post 4, and his natural speed could cause problems for California Chrome breaking to his inside.



Winchell Thoroughbreds' Tapiture has posted two consecutive wins since his 15th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. The son of Tapit has tallied victories in the Matt Winn Stakes and the West Virginia Derby since May and enters the race looking to avenge his Derby loss with regular rider Rosie Napravnik aboard.

Todd Pletcher-trained Protonico has a win over the surface having captured the Sept. 1 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx. The improving colt has three wins and a third in five career starts. California invader Candy Boy has a pair of second-place efforts since his mid-pack finish in the Kentucky Derby. The Candy Ride colt finished behind leading sophomore Shared Belief in the Los Alamitos Derby in July before getting caught by Tapiture at the wire of the West Virginia Derby.

The Grade 1 Cotillion features a filly showdown that will likely help determine year-end honors. Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable is the morning-line favorite for the 1 1/16-mile race after four consecutive wins to kick off 2014. The filly tried males in the Haskell, where she wound up in fifth place.

Multiple Grade 1 winners Stopchargingmaria, heroine of the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama at Saratoga this summer, and Sweet Reason, a top middle-distance filly looking to stretch out, are formidable foes for the Oaks winner.

The Cotillion also features untested Monmouth Oaks winner Cassatt, Alabama runner-up Joint Return and multiple graded stakes winner Jojo Warrior.