For Immediate Release: Saturday, July 4, 2015 215.639.9000 ext. 3290 or 3329 Contact: Keith Jones, Announcer – Philadelphia Park @ kjones@parxracing.com
CLASSY MARE COFFEE CLIQUE PREVIALS IN DOC PENNY Earnings Now Top $1 Million
A multiple graded winner last year, Coffee Clique showed her class Saturday afternoon at Parx Racing as she rallied from mid-pack to best a solid field of eight fillies and mares by a length and a half in the G3 Dr. James Penny Memorial. The lightly raced 5 year-old daughter of Medaglia D’Oro picked up her first win since last June when she won the G1 Just a Game in New York and pushed her career earnings now to over $1 million.
Breaking from post six, jockey Manuel Franco guided her away from the gate in good order and looked intent on keeping her out of traffic and out of trouble throughout the one mile and one-sixteenth turf test. Into, around the first turn and down the backstretch run, she was never better than third but never worse than fifth as horses on her inside would alternate positions attempting to get themselves into contention behind the long shot leader, Sassy Little Cat, who at 67-1, carved out fractions of 23.67 and 48.59. Her nearest pursuer was another big price, 29-1 shot Pink Poppy, and as Sassy Little Cat finally began to tire as expected rounding the far turn, Pink Poppy got first run and had the lead briefly as they came past the quarter pole.
Franco had Coffee Clique in a perfect spot off the outside flank of Pink Poppy and immediately went after her as they turned into the stretch. Pink Poppy responded well to the challenge but she simply couldn’t stay with her classy rival, and as she surrendered the lead the race second choice, Testa Rossi was making her run from the back and loomed a late factor closing ground in the middle of the course. Coffee Clique was too tough, though. She edged away from Pink Poppy, easily held Testa Rossi safe through the late stages and came under the line a length and half winner.
Bet down late to 3-5, Coffee Clique, owned by Amerman Racing and trained by Brian Lynch, paid $3.40, 2.40 and 2.20. Testa Rossi (7-2) was always behind Coffee Clique and simply wasn’t able to make a final surge to get by. She ran second and paid 3.20 and 2.80. Pink Poppy certainly outran her odds in a big effort, continuing on gamely in the stretch to finish third beaten less than two lengths and paid 7.40 to show. The final time over a course labeled firm was 1:42.64.
