For Immediate Release: Saturday, July 22, 2017
THREEOHTWOCASSIE RALLIES FOR UPSET IN CROWD PLEASER Firsthand Report Decisive Winner in Power by Far
Parx Racing played host to two Pennsylvania-bred stakes on the turf Saturday afternoon, the $100,000 Power by Far for fillies and mares at five furlongs and the $100,000 Crowd Pleaser for three year-olds at one mile and one-sixteenth. Threeohtwocassie rallied at a big price to post an upset in the Crowd Pleaser while Firsthand Report got a perfect just off the pace trip to win the Power by Far.
Getting a masterful ride from winning jockey Edwin Gonzalez, Black Cloud Stable’s Threeohtwocassie rallied to win the Crowd Pleaser. Moving through the front stretch for the first time, it looked as though he might get caught three wide going to the opening turn. Instead, Gonzalez took back and allowed Threeohtwocassie to settle in fourth down on the inside of the course about three lengths of the leader, the heavily favored Fast and Accurate. He stayed there around the first turn and midway up the backstretch before easing outside for clear running with just less than a half mile to go. Threeohtwocassie then began to launch a three wide bid around the far turn and made a nice, steady gain on the two leaders as they neared the top of the stretch. Straightening for home, he then kicked in with a strong surge to strike the front with just less than an eighth of a mile to go, opened a clear lead and then held off a late inside charge from Iggy Loco to win by three-quarters of a length. Trained by Anthony Pecoraro, Threeohtwocassie was sent off as an 18-1 outside, paid $38.20 to win and covered the distance over a firm course in 1:44.14.
Star Ladies Racing’s Firsthand Report rallied from just off the pace to win the Power by Far. Actually breaking last in the field of seven, the four year-old Blame filly quickly found her stride and by the time the first furlong was complete, she’d moved to second just off the outside flank of the leader, the defending champion and 3-5 favorite Fat Kat. The two rivals raced one-two into and around the far turn and opened up some separation on the others, turning it into strictly a two horse affair. It was clear, though, by mid-stretch, that Firsthand Report was the stronger of the two. She charged past Fat Kat and quickly began to draw away and flashed under the wire a convincing three lengths in front. Sent down from New York by trainer Todd Pletcher with jockey John Bisono aboard, Firsthand Report went off as the second choice at 7-2 and paid $9.00 to win. She finished the five-eighths on the grass in :58.03.
