For Immediate Release: Friday, June 19, 2015 215.639.9000 ext. 3290 or 3329 Contact: Keith Jones, Announcer – Philadelphia Park @ kjones@parxracing.com
$100K DON LE VINE MEMORIAL FEATURED SATURDAY AT PARX
Parx will host its top sprint race of the year for older horses Saturday afternoon, the $100,000 Donald Le Vine Memorial Handicap. Contested at seven furlongs on the main track, the Le Vine has attracted a field of nine sprinters, several of whom have acquitted themselves well in some high profile races.
David Jacobson’s Stallwalkin’ Dude will open as the 2-1 favorite. The 5 year-old gelded son of City Place blossomed in his four year-old season, having already won 10 races since the start of last year. Now 11 for 28 lifetime, he’s coming off a terrific effort in the G2 True North Handicap June 5th at Belmont Park when he ran second at 7-1 behind Todd Pletcher’s red hot sprinter Rock Fall. His prior race May 10th at Belmont was a victory in the $100K Diablo Stakes. The win in the Diablo came against the likes of Palice Malice and Clearly Now and capped off a four race winning streak this spring in New York. Jacobson plans on taking him to Saratoga over the summer, but for now, he’d be more than happy to see him win his 6th race of the year. Angel Cruz has been named to ride.
The second choice at 7-2 is the fast and consistent A.P. Indian. Racing out of the Arnaud Delacour barn for Green Lantern Stables, the 5 year-old gelded son of Indian Charlie is lightly raced, having made only 8 career starts to this point, but in those eight starts, he’s won 4 and never been worse than second. He broke his maiden in October 2012 winning a special weight at Delaware Park and then didn’t race again until September of 2013 when he came off that long layoff to win a first level allowance race at Churchill. He made only one start in all of 2014, a second in a second level allowance at Oaklawn January 20th. His last start, his third of 2015, was probably his best to date, a win in the $75K Decathlon Stakes at Monmouth, besting 2014 PA Horse of the Year, G3 winner, Favorite Tale. Daniel Centeno comes in for the ride.
Fox Hill Farm’s Coup De Grace is third choice at 4-1 and will be looking to regain the form that made him one of the top 3YO sprinters last year. The Tapit colt was a multiple graded winner last year, using his off-the-pace style to win the G3 Bay Shore at Aqueduct last April and the G2 Amsterdam last July at Saratoga. He’s been a beaten favorite in both starts this year. Opening his campaign March 20th at the Fair Grounds, he was a well beaten third in a third level optional claimer and then was fifth in the G3 Maryland Sprint Handicap May 16th at Pimlico. Trainer Larry Jones will give a leg up to veteran Kerwin Clark.
