Further Ado and The Puma look to regain their footing in the Pennsylvania Derby
The Blue Grass (G1) winner and the colt who fell a nose short in the Florida Derby (G1) head a field of 11 for the final major two-turn G1 reserved exclusively for 3-year-olds; Iron Honor, Our Moneyman, and Zihnal add even further depth
BENSALEM, Pennsylvania (Special for Turf Diario).— The Class of 2023 is running out of opportunities to settle its pending business strictly against fellow 3-year-olds. The Pennsylvania Derby (G1-1800m), set for this Saturday at Parx Racing, represents the final major two-turn dirt test of the year reserved exclusively for the sophomore division—and several of its 11 entrants arrive in urgent need of seizing the moment.
Further Ado and The Puma fit that description perfectly.
Both were among the colts generating the highest expectations along the Triple Crown trail, but a variety of circumstances eventually pushed them away from center stage. Without Leading Change (Gun Runner), Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), or Golden Tempo (Curlin)—the top three finishers from the Travers Stakes (G1)—Parx stands out as the ideal venue to regain lost ground.
Further Ado has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite and is the only G1 winner in the lineup.
The son of Gun Runner, trained by Brad Cox for Spendthrift Farm, was simply devastating in his two appearances at Keeneland. He broke his maiden there in October and later scored a defining victory in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), combining for a staggering 31-length total margin across both wins.
He subsequently added the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs, though his two clashes against the division's top tier produced far different results: he finished 11th in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and fifth in the Haskell Stakes(G1).
Those outings fueled a perception of inconsistency—one that Cox does not share. “People say he’s inconsistent, but I think he is,” maintained the trainer, who considers it unfair to judge him by the Derby and finds clear excusing factors for what transpired at Monmouth Park.
A heavy storm turned that surface into a sea of mud before the Haskell, and Further Ado also lost a shoe during the running.
Cox also attaches little weight to unexpected results at Monmouth, a track he believes is capable of producing peculiar circumstances. In his eyes, his view on the horse remains unchanged: “He's a solid horse.”
The Puma, another chance to reset
Perhaps no contender arrives at Parx with as many unsettled scores as The Puma. The son of Essential Quality, conditioned by Gustavo Delgado, had built a spring campaign of immense promise. He first defeated none other than Further Ado in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and then came up just a nose short behind Commandment (Into Mischief) in the Florida Derby (G1).
All signs pointed toward him playing a major role at Churchill Downs, until a fever forced his scratch on the morning of the Kentucky Derby.
The Triple Crown was missed entirely. He resurfaced in the Haskell, where he stumbled at the start, never made a serious impact, and finished fourth. He then took a step forward in the Travers, again placing fourth after racing wide rounding the far turn.
Finishing ahead of him were Leading Change, Napoleon Solo, and Golden Tempo—the exact three names bypassing Pennsylvania.
Now The Puma reaches his third start off the layoff, entering a race that, on paper, provides far more favorable conditions to definitively gauge his ceiling.
Iron Honor returns fresh
Another familiar name from the spring trail is Iron Honor, whom Chad Brown specifically reserved for this race. The son of Nyquist finished second to Napoleon Solo in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and later ran third in the Haskell, behind Baby Vino (Vino Rosso) and once again Napoleon Solo.
Brown preferred to wait since then. His return at Parx will offer an intriguing yardstick between colts who shone during the first half of the year and those who hit their stride over the summer.
Among the latter is Our Moneyman, whose recent form carries even greater weight following the Travers. The son of Mr. Money finished just a neck behind Leading Change in the Indiana Derby (G3) on July 11, before that rival shipped to Saratoga to capture the Travers.
Our Moneyman had previously placed second behind Further Ado in the Matt Winn and has never missed the board in 9 career starts. That consistency came with a price tag: KAS Stables paid $2,000,000 for him at the Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale. The Pennsylvania Derby will mark his first start for new owners, remaining under the care of trainer Bret Calhoun.
Summer bloomers
Also deserving attention is Zihnal (Quality Road), representing Augustin Stables and Jonathan Thomas. Fourth in the Indiana Derby, he subsequently confirmed his progress by taking the West Virginia Derby (G3), a result that installed him among the colts capable of filling the void left by the division's top names.
Sassmaster (Curlin) offers another intriguing profile. The Mark Breen homebred comes off an allowance victory over older horses over the same 1800-meter distance at Saratoga, experience that could prove invaluable.
Meanwhile, the local contingent holds an advantage that should never be discounted at Parx: intimate familiarity with a track that often poses challenges to shippers.
Micanopy (Uncle Chuck), Ponder and Dream (Uncle Lino), and Freedom’s Echo (Independence Hall)—the top three finishers from the Smarty Jones Stakes (L) run there on August 18—will attempt to leverage that home-field experience against higher-profile rivals.
The Pennsylvania Derby arrives at a pivotal juncture in the season.
The main protagonists of the Travers are absent, and after this Saturday, any sophomore aiming for the top races will have to begin facing older horses.
Further Ado needs to prove that the devastating horse seen at Keeneland is his true measure. The Puma seeks that elusive signature victory that seemed so close before illness disrupted his season. Iron Honor resurfaces with classic credentials, and lurking behind are several rising prospects who developed while the favorites faced setbacks. Parxgives them one final opportunity restricted to their own age group. Beyond this, there will be no age-restricted refuge left.
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