Travers Rematch on Tap for Pennsylvania Derby

Will Take Charge (left) and Moreno (middle) last battled it out in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga with Will Take Charge coming out as the winner (Photo courtesy of NYRA).

Taking home the winner’s share of $1 million is the goal for a competitive group of eight 3-year-olds entered in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby on Saturday at Parx Racing.

The 1 1/8-mile race is highlighted by a rematch of Will Take Charge and Moreno, who met in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes on Aug. 24 with Will Take Charge edging that rival by a nose. Will Take Charge is trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas and has made eight starts this year, with three wins, including two graded stakes victories.

Stakes winner Moreno looks to turn the tables on Will Take Charge in the Pennsylvania Derby. The Ghostzapper gelding won the Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes in July before finishing third behind Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice and Will Take Charge in the Jim Dandy Stakes prior to the Travers thriller. Trained by Eric Guillot, Moreno will try for his third win of the year in the Pennsylvania Derby.

Transparent looks to rebound from his off-the-board finish in the Travers in the Pennsylvania Derby, which will be his first start outside of New York. The well-bred Bernardini colt, running for Darley Stable and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, crossed the finish line first in Curlin Stakes but was disqualified for interference in the stretch and placed fifth. He comes into the Pennsylvania Derby off a ninth-place finish in the Travers.

Java’s War is another to watch with an impressive win in the Grade 1 Bluegrass Stakes and a second-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby earlier this season. The War Pass colt will be making his first start for new trainer Barclay Tagg after finishing last in the Swaps Stakes on July 4.

Also running are stakes-winning colts Fury Kapcori, Romansh and Battier and stakes-placed winner Speak Logistics.