Flameaway Heads to Parx for Smarty Jones Stakes
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Photo: Chad B. Harmon
Flameaway will cut back to 1 1/16 miles in the Aug. 25 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing
Unlike Runhappy Travers Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) entrant and Mark Casse-trained stablemate Wonder Gadot, John Oxley's Flameaway didn't show his talent right away.
"He tricked us," Casse said of the Scat Daddy colt's early training. "For a long time, I just thought he was a horse, but with each challenge he'd respond and run well."
With that in mind, it's no surprise Flameaway is racing away from Saratoga Race Course on Travers weekend, and Casse is frank about the colt's limitations. Even though he ran well in the Jim Dandy Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G2)—where he was only beaten three-quarters of a length by Tenfold—he probably fired his best shot, and the water is deeper in the Travers, at a longer distance.
So instead of stretching out farther, he'll cut back to 1 1/16 miles in the $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes (G3) Aug. 25 at Parx Racing.
"I kinda thought he ran his race (in the Jim Dandy). Even though he ran well, the Travers was going to be tougher," Casse said. "And Mr. Oxley has great respect for Wonder Godot as well. A mile and a quarter would definitely be pushing his distance limitations, and we even thought about cutting him back even more for the (grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Presented by Runhappy). This is just a better spot."
Based on the class of the field, the Smarty Jones surely is an easier spot for Flameaway. Three of the eight entrants have been entered for a claiming tag, and Axelrod, the July 14 Indiana Derby (G3) victor, is the only other graded winner. If Flameaway were to win the Smarty Jones, it would be his third grade 3 score, following the Feb. 10 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) and the 2017 Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3).
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The main threat to Flameaway, however, might be the lightly raced but undefeated First Mondays, a 3-year-old Curlin colt owned by Glenangus Farm and trained by John Servis. First Mondays made his debut June 28 in a six-furlong sprint at Gulfstream Park and kicked away late to win by 3 3/4 lengths, then returned in a one-turn-mile, first-level allowance and won by 1 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream. The second- and third-place finishers out of the allowance, Quenane and Weisser, have both come back to win since.
Rounding out the field is Indiana Derby third Title Ready, grade 3-placed stakes winner Diamond King, stakes-placed allowance victors Transistor and Wait For It, and maiden claiming winner Cowboy Night.
Entries: Smarty Jones S. (G3)
Parx Racing, Saturday, August 25, 2018, Race 8
- Grade III
- 1 1/16m
- Dirt
- $300,000
- 3 yo
- 4:18 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1First Mondays (MD) | Joshua Navarro | 119 | John C. Servis | 5/1 |
| 2 | 2Cowboy Night (KY) | Jomar Garcia | 117 | Michael Charles Aro | 20/1 |
| 3 | 3Wait for It (PA) | Mychel J. Sanchez | 117 | Edward J. Coletti, Jr. | 12/1 |
| 4 | 4Title Ready (KY) | Kendrick Carmouche | 117 | Steven M. Asmussen | 4/1 |
| 5 | 5Diamond King (KY) |
Frankie Pennington | 124 | John C. Servis | 8/1 |
| 6 | 6Transistor (FL) | Luis A. Rodriguez Castro | 117 | Rudy R. Rodriguez | 15/1 |
| 7 | 7Flameaway (ON) |
Jose Lezcano | 124 | Mark E. Casse | 2/1 |
| 8 | 8Axelrod (FL) | Joe Bravo | 124 | Michael W. McCarthy | 3/1 |