Axelrod Dominant in Smarty Jones Stakes
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Photo: Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Axelrod gallops away in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing
With a wall of four horses in front of him late in the final turn, jockey Joe Bravo didn't have much of a choice in the $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes (G3) at Parx Racing.
Bravo swung his mount, Slam Dunk Racing's Axelrod, six wide to get into the clear late in the last bend—and, luckily for him, he had a mountain of horse underneath him.
With no impediments, the Warrior's Reward colt shot to the front and drew off in the stretch to win the 1 1/16-mile race by four lengths in a final time of 1:45.34.
Pacesetter Diamond King held for second, a neck ahead of First Mondays. Favored Flameaway, off at 9-5 after his second-place run in the Jim Dandy Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G2), was one of three horses on or near the lead in the backstretch but tired harshly to finish seventh of eight.
The Smarty Jones was the Michael McCarthy-trained Axelrod's second straight graded stakes victory, following his first graded score in the July 14 Indiana Derby (G3). His first graded try was a runner-up effort to Draft Pick in the Affirmed Stakes (G3).
"The feed wasn't great, and I haven't watched it properly yet, but from what I saw, it looked like he won nicely," said McCarthy, who watched the Smarty Jones from Saratoga Race Course, where he saddled City of Light to a second-place finish in the Forego Stakes (G1).
McCarthy said Axelrod's next race will likely be the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) Sept. 22 at Parx, where he could meet Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) winner Catholic Boy.
"That would be a showdown," McCarthy said.
Bred in Florida by Hidden Point Farm out of the Elusive Quality mare Volatile Vickie, Axelrod has a 4-1-1 record from nine starts and $540,925 in earnings. He was a $25,000 purchase by Slam Dunk from Bobby Jones Equine's consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Winter Mixed Sale in 2016.