Greenwood Cup Distance Right Up Marconi's Alley

It can be a difficult task to find marathon races at certain times of the year, but on this busy stakes-filled weekend, trainer Todd Pletcher found a 1 1/2-mile test for Marconi in the $200,000 Greenwood Cup Stakes (G3) Oct. 5 at Parx Racing.

The Tapit  colt, the morning-line favorite at odds of 4-5, will face a field of six other 4-year-olds or older, with his prime competition coming from July 20 Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3) winner War Story, who finished off the board in his most recent test—the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) at Del Mar.

A $2 million purchase by Bridlewood Farm and Coolmore's M.V. Magnier, Marconi struggled in spring 3-year-old classic prep races at 1 1/8 miles or less, although he did break his maiden in his second start at 1 1/8 miles by 5 1/2 lengths. It wasn't until Pletcher entered the colt in the 1 3/16-mile Skip Away Stakes March 29 at Gulfstream Park that Marconi seemed to find his way.

He followed that score with a win in the 1 3/8-mile Flat Out Stakes at Belmont Park, winning by 2 3/4 lengths over Rocketry. Stepping up to 1 1/2 miles in a graded stakes seemed the next logical step, and Marconi again beat Rocketry, this time by a half-length, in Belmont's Woodford Reserve Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (G2).

Both horses competed in the 1 1/4-mile Suburban Stakes (G2), and though Marconi still came home in front of Rocketry, the pair finished well back in the field. Marconi, however, returned to finish second in the Aug. 1 Birdstone Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, a 1 3/4-mile marathon won by King Zachary, who ran away to an 8 1/2-length romp.

In his most recent effort, Marconi won at the Greenwood distance in Belmont's Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational Stakes, outrunning last year's Greenwood Cup winner, You're to Blame, to finish three lengths ahead at the wire.

Trained by Jorge Navarro for Imaginary Stables and Glenn Ellis, War Story finished second in last year's Greenwood Cup, just a neck behind You're to Blame, and will look to go one better under jockey Frankie Pennington. The Monmouth Cup is the Northern Afleet gelding's sole win since last year's Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. This year, he finished third in his season debut in the 1 1/8-mile Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2) before finishing well off the board in the Brooklyn Invitational.

Entries: Greenwood Cup S. (G3)

Parx Racing, Saturday, October 05, 2019, Race 8

• Grade III
• 1 1/2m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:04 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Asphalt Paving (KY)	Wesley Torres	117	Trevor Gallimore	30/1
2	2His Royal Majesty (KY)	Mychel J. Sanchez	124	Marcos Zulueta	15/1
3	3War Story (KY)	Frankie Pennington	124	Jorge Navarro	3/1
4	4Adventist (KY)	John Bisono	117	Uriah St. Lewis	20/1
5	5Marconi (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	124	Todd A. Pletcher	4/5
6	6Lemonade Thursday (KY)	Daniel Centeno	117	Arnaud Delacour	5/1
7	7Navy Commander (PA)	Angel S. Arroyo	117	Robert E. Reid, Jr.	10/1