The 46th operating of the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby, a part of an unbelievable card on Saturday at Parx Racing that options eight stakes races, drew a area of 11 3-year-old males. 9 of the entrants are stakes winners and simply two colts on this area competed in a Triple Crown race this 12 months. Within the final 10 editions of the Pennsylvania Derby, 5 had been received by horses who didn’t compete in a single Triple Crown race. Final 12 months’s winner was Baeza for the late John Shirreffs.
Right here’s a have a look at the sphere from the rail out:
Zihnal, a High quality Highway gelding educated by Jonathan Thomas, is recent off a 6 ¼-length victory within the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby on Aug. 9 going this similar 1 1/8-mile distance. Corridor of Fame rider John Velazquez shall be again aboard. Iron Honor completed second within the Preakness Stakes and ran third final outing within the Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes on a sloppy observe at Monmouth Park. The Nyquist colt is educated by Chad Brown and could have a jockey swap to Jose Ortiz. Our Moneyman, bought for $2 million by KAS Stables on July 14, completed second within the Grade 3 Indiana Derby final outing. The Louisiana-bred stays within the Bret Calhoun barn with new silks and has by no means run out of the cash from 9 profession begins. Igniter, educated by Richard Dutrow Jr., received the Ellis Park Derby by 4 lengths final time in front-running trend. Withers Stakes and New York Derby winner Speak to Me Jimmy completed second within the New York-bred Albany Stakes final outing on a sloppy Saratoga observe for coach Rudy Rodriguez. The Puma shall be making his third begin off a layoff after lacking the Triple Crown. The Important High quality colt received the Grade 3 ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby and completed second by a nostril within the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby Introduced by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa earlier than the layoff. In his most up-to-date begins, he completed fourth in each the Haskell and Grade 1 DraftKings Travers Stakes. The two-1 morning line favourite for the Pennsylvania Derby is Additional Ado, who additionally was the favourite within the Kentucky Derby introduced by Woodford Reserve. Because the first Saturday in Could, the Gun Runner colt received the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in June and completed fifth within the Haskell final outing. Flavien Prat shall be aboard for coach Brad Cox. Freedom’s Echo shall be making his sixth begin at Parx in his seventh race, and his first on the graded degree. Final time Freedom’s Echo completed third behind Pennsylvania Derby contenders Micanopy and Ponder and Dream within the Smarty Jones Stakes on Aug. 18. After being sidelined for almost 11 months after his profession debut, Sassmaster has received two straight races as a 3-year-old. The Curlin colt educated by Todd Pletcher received an allowance at Saratoga final outing on AUg. 1 going this similar 1 1/8-mile distance. Tyler Gaffalione picks up the mount after Prat opted to journey Additional Ado. Micanopy will attempt to make it 2-for-2 on the Parx foremost observe after profitable the Smarty Jones Stakes by 1 ½ lengths final time. Paco Lopez shall be within the irons for the primary time. Ponder and Dream, the one Pennsylvania-bred within the area, is 9-for-9 within the cash at Parx in his profession, together with a 14 ¾-length romp within the Lil E. Tee Stakes on July 18 for coach Robert Reid Jr.. Parx main rider Mychel Sanchez shall be aboard.
Evaluation and Major Contenders:
At 8-1 on the morning line, Our Moneyman offers terrific worth for a constant colt who has proven promise. Our Moneyman has by no means run out of the cash from 9 profession begins and comes out of a key race that produced a number of graded stakes winners. Within the Indiana Derby on July 11, Our Moneyman was squeezed at the beginning and shuffled again to final however rapidly made up misplaced floor all through the race. In addition to the robust begin, jockey Axel Concepcion misplaced his crop on the sixteenth pole but Our Moneyman was nonetheless capable of unleash a superb rally and end second by only a neck to Main Change, who got here again to submit an upset victory within the Travers in his subsequent begin. Zihnal completed behind Our Moneyman in fourth within the Indiana Derby and got here again to dominate the West Virginia Derby in his subsequent begin. Our Moneyman began his profession at Churchill Downs final September earlier than happening to interrupt his maiden at Keeneland in October. He shipped all the way down to Honest Grounds for the winter and competed in 4 consecutive state-bred stakes races, together with a second within the Joseph R. Peluso Memorial Stakes and a win within the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes, each at six furlongs. Our Moneyman began 2026 with a second-place end within the Louisiana Futurity, once more at six furlongs. Our Moneyman actually began to come back into his personal in March when stretching out to a two-turn route for the primary time within the Crescent Metropolis Derby at Honest Grounds. Our Moneyman went on to win by three-quarters of a size and improved his Equibase Pace Determine from 79 to 92. He once more improved his velocity determine in an allowance race at Churchill Downs in Could, incomes a 95 for his third-place end racing 1 1/16 miles. In June, Our Moneyman made his graded stakes debut within the Matt Winn and made a stable effort to run second to Additional Ado whereas regressing a bit in velocity figures to a 92. Final outing, Our Moneyman earned a career-best 100 Equibase Pace Determine to narrowly run second within the Indiana Derby. Simply three days after that race, the son of Mr. Cash, who stands for $2,500, was bought for $2 million by KAS Stables and shall be making his first begin within the new silks. Axel Concepcion has been aboard Our Moneyman for all 9 profession begins, nonetheless Manny Franco, who has been red-hot all summer season and received his first Saratoga using title together with 4 Grade 1 wins within the meet, shall be aboard. That is an fascinating transfer for coach Bret Calhoun, who has not had a single begin with Franco during the last 5 years. Nonetheless, it’s a notable constructive that Franco will aboard and provides to the intrigue of this gifted colt. One other constructive is Our Moneyman’s 107 late tempo determine, which ranks first on this area. With confirmed consistency and skill to carry out properly in graded stakes whereas coming off a slim second-place end to the eventual Travers winner, Our Moneyman has an exquisite alternative to search out the winner’s circle Saturday, particularly contemplating he shall be closing right into a presumably scorching tempo.
Sassmaster is an intriguing calmly raced Curlin colt providing great worth at 10-1 odds on the morning line. Sassmaster began his profession in August 2025, ending fourth in a mud dash at Saratoga earlier than being sidelined for almost 11 months. He returned in June, breaking his maiden on sloppy Churchill Downs observe whereas stretching out to 1 1/16 miles and bettering his Equibase Pace Determine from a 68 to an 89. In his third profession begin, Sassmaster tried this 1 1/8-mile distance in an allowance race at Saratoga and received by a size with a career-best 99 velocity determine. Sassmaster has clearly come again in an enormous manner and handed the 1 1/8-mile take a look at with flying colours. Regardless of his final race being on the allowance degree, he shall be operating on the similar 99 class ranking and this might show a sensible transfer by Pletcher, who has received at 32% from 41 starters during the last 5 years at Parx. Sassmaster additionally ranks second by late tempo with a 105.5 ranking and ought to be racing mid-pack earlier than pouncing close to the quarter-pole. Whereas Sassmaster shall be making his stakes debut on the Grade 1 degree, this colt’s potential and worth are to not be ignored.
Iron Honor has raced constantly at a excessive degree for coach Chad Brown. He began his profession 2-for-2, together with a win within the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at a one-turn mile. After a tough begin when seventh within the Wooden Memorial in April, Iron Honor got here again to complete second within the Preakness Stakes. He once more ran properly within the Haskell, ending third behind Preakness winner Napoleon Solo, who went on to run second by a half a size within the Travers. Whereas 1 1/8 miles doesn’t appear to be his most well-liked distance, Iron Honor has produced good efforts and run within the cash in Grade 1 races. He ought to be capable to race simply behind the early leaders and will be capable to but once more run within the cash. A notable gear change is the swap again to blinkers, which he wore in his first three profession begins however not within the Preakness or the Haskell. Over the past three years, Brown wins at 25% from 126 starters with horses including blinkers. Prat, who was aboard Iron Honor’s two most up-to-date begins, opts to journey Additional Ado, nonetheless, Iron Honor receives a top quality substitute within the main rider in North America, Jose Ortiz. At 5-1 on the morning line, Iron Honor additionally presents stable worth.
The remainder of the sphere (with finest Equibase Pace Determine in related races): Zihnal (95), Igniter (97), Speak to Me Jimmy (98), The Puma (100), Additional Ado (107), Freedom’s Echo (88), Micanopy (96) and Ponder and Dream (94).
Win Contenders in Choice Order:
