Speedy Factor This Draws Outside in Dinner Party Stakes

With no shortage of other early runners lined up to his inside, it appears there won't be much time for a breather for Factor This in the early running of the $250,000 Dinner Party Stakes (G2T) when the speedy son of The Factor  tries to nail down his fifth stakes win of the season.

But Factor This has been up to that type of challenge before as he enters the 1 1/16-mile turf test Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course. The Dinner Party, which was contested as the Dixie for many years through 2019, is the oldest stakes race contested at Pimlico. Out of sensitivity to race issues, the Dixie reverts to its original name, the Dinner Party, which was won by Preakness in the race's first edition in 1870.

One start after nearly securing the first grade 1 victory of his career, Gaining Ground Racing's Factor This will start from the outside in the expected field of seven. Factor This led at every point of call in the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs and opened a clear advantage in midstretch but yielded to Digital Age late, finishing second by a half-length in that 1 1/8-mile turf test.

Video: Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S. (G1T)

Before that effort, Factor This won four stakes races in a row—all in front-running fashion on the turf. That stretch started with his score in the Fair Grounds Stakes (G3T) and was followed by wins in the Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2T) at Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots, the Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill, and the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup Stakes at Ellis Park. He will pick up the services of jockey Florent Geroux for the first time this year, although Geroux rode him regularly in 2019.

Trained by Brad Cox, Factor This will be facing three other strong early runners Saturday in Somelikeithotbrown, who two starts back delivered a front-running victory in the Bernard Baruch Handicap (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course; Doctor Mounty, who last out led every step in the Henry S. Clark Stakes Sept. 7 at Laurel Park, and Irish Strait, who two starts back at Monmouth Park built his early advantage to two lengths in the stretch of the Oceanport Stakes before fading to third.

Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's Somelikeithotbrown is trained by Mike Maker, who also sends out Three Diamonds Farm's Hembree. A late-running son of Proud Citizen, Hembree figures to find a favorable pace setup Saturday as he tries to snap a 13-race losing streak during which he's earned six stakes placings.

Isabelle de Tomaso's Irish Strait is one of two horses entered in the Dinner Party by trainer Graham Motion, who also will send out R. Larry Johnson's True Valour, a grade 2 winner in 2019 looking for his first victory of 2020. 

Doctor Mounty is trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, who will try to win the Dinner Party for a fifth time.

Entries: Dinner Party S. (G2T)

Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, October 03, 2020, Race 6

• Grade IIT
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 2:01 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1True Valour (IRE)	Julian Pimentel	123	H. Graham Motion	12/1
2	2Somelikeithotbrown (NY)	Paco Lopez	123	Michael J. Maker	5/1
3	3Hembree (KY)	Daniel Centeno	121	Michael J. Maker	9/2
4	4O Dionysus (MD)	Luis Garcia	121	Cyril Murphy	30/1
5	5Irish Strait (NJ)	Trevor McCarthy	121	H. Graham Motion	8/1
6	6Doctor Mounty (KY)	Forest Boyce	121	Claude R. McGaughey III	5/1
7	7Factor This (KY)	Florent Geroux	125	Brad H. Cox	1/1