Fearless Ready for Greenwood Cup Challengers at Parx
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson
Fearless gets a pat from jockey Luis Saez after his victory in the Brooklyn Stakes at Belmont Park
Repole Stable's Fearless has been on a hot streak. Having finished first or second in 14 of his 17 career starts, he looks to the Sept. 24 $200,000 Greenwood Cup Stakes (G3) at Parx Racing to post three straight wins for the first time.
Opening as a 6-5 favorite, the Todd Pletcher-trained Fearless has been triumphant in a handful of graded stakes: the Brooklyn Stakes (G2); Ghostzapper Stakes (G3), which was named after Fearless' sire; the Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3); and the 2021 WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2).
The 6-year-old son of Ghostzapper seems to have found his niche in route races, as his last two victories have come traveling 1 1/2 miles in the Brooklyn and 1 3/4 miles in the Birdstone. The Greenwood Cup, for 3-year-olds and up, is contested over 1 1/2 miles on the Parx main track.
Leading New York-based rider Luis Saez ships into town to ride Fearless on Saturday.
Among Fearless' eight challengers in the Greenwood Cup is last year's defending race winner, Magic Michael . Unlike Fearless, who is making his Parx debut, Magic Michael is well-versed on the course, having made nearly a third of his career starts at Parx (11 of 29). And while the Greenwood Cup was his last graded stakes triumph, the Jamie Ness-trained Magic Michael registered two allowance victories following that win and is coming off a second-place finish in an allowance optional claiming race at Delaware Park in August. He is the second favorite at 4-1.
Magic Michael wins the Greenwood Cup at Parx Racing
Owned by Morris Kernan Jr., Yo Berbs Racing, and Jagger, the son of Dramedy has a 10-6-2 mark in 29 starts with $404,423 in earnings.
Local rider Frankie Pennington has the call on Magic Michael.
Flanagan Racing's The Reds , graded stakes-placed last year as a sophomore in the Pennine Ridge Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park, makes his graded stakes debut for Saffie Joseph Jr. since transferring to that trainer's barn this past summer. The son of Tonalist , stretching out to 1 1/2 miles for the first time in the Greenwood Cup, enters off an Aug. 19 allowance optional claiming score going 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga.
The Reds secures the services of top New York jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who also ventures into town for the lucrative Sept. 24 Parx card.
Also lined up for Saturday for the Greenwood Cup are Bossmakinbossmoves , Brooklyn Strong , Forewarned , Ridin With Biden , and Western River , all at 8-1; and Double the Heart (15-1).
Clear Stars Stable, Mitre Box Stable, and Richard Schosberg's Bossmakinbossmoves most recently won the Albany Stakes by three lengths against state-bred company Aug. 26 at Saratoga.
Parx Racing, Saturday, September 24, 2022, Race 8Entries: Greenwood Cup S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Brooklyn Strong (NY)
Joel Rosario
120
Victor Barboza, Jr.
8/1
2
2Western River (KY)
Flavien Prat
119
Rodolphe Brisset
8/1
3
3Magic Michael (KY)
Frankie Pennington
126
Jamie Ness
4/1
4
4Bossmakinbossmoves (NY)
John R. Velazquez
123
Richard E. Schosberg
8/1
5
5Ridin With Biden (KY)
UNKNOWN
126
Robert E. Reid, Jr.
8/1
6
6Double the Heart (ON)
Jeremy Laprida
120
Felix L. Flores-Coba
15/1
7
7The Reds (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
126
Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.
5/1
8
8Fearless (KY)
Luis Saez
126
Todd A. Pletcher
6/5
9
9Forewarned (OH)
Dexter Haddock
126
Uriah St. Lewis
8/1
