9/21 (PRX): PA Derby, Cotillion (G1's), Gallant Bob (G3), Amazon, Mile
 

"Racing Secretary reserves the right to refuse and/or deny any nomination or entry for this race at his sole discretion."

Shanghai Superfly supplemented to the Derby ($10k), pays $2k to enter and $3k to start. However, every starter is guaranteed $15k, so it costs nothing to run the MDN, who unless he improves 20 lengths, can only get in the way.

Maybe they did this to deflect from the obnoxiousness of adding a new mile dirt race.

What is wrong with the new mile race?
NYRA just added a new mile and a half race that is really not needed and really obnoxious. Ambulance stalled on the back stretch going so slow.:zz:

Got more than 4-5 horses and looks like a good betting race.

Nice Card .Parx Dirt Mile, Pa Derby
 

It’s so refreshing to see a nice race going a flat mile at 2 turns. So many of those one turn miles are just glorified sprints these days. It could be tough for Coal Front to run down Diamond King.
Mr. Money should quiet the non believers down when he beats that good field in the PA derby.

Maximum Security out of the PA Derby is less surprising than a dumb post by Alabama Stakes.

STATEMENT FROM DR. DR. JANIK GASIOROWSKI OF MID-ATLANTIC EQUINE CLINIC REGARDING MAXIMUM SECURITY

“Maximum Security went through a severe, acute bout of colic. He got his colon displaced, which is actually very common in thoroughbred racehorses. He just got his displaced tightly enough that it was extremely painful. He was sent to our clinic immediately and we managed to get him to correct without doing surgery.

“From a physiologic standpoint the horse is going to be recovered in a short period of time. We’re talking a couple of weeks and he will be fine. From a racing, training and athletic standpoint he needs a little bit of time off. He went through a big episode and he is going to need some time to recover.

“As far as his career goes, there are zero long-term ramifications from what he just went through.

“The reason horses going through this survive is because of the rapid response of the veterinary team at the track, the trainer’s involvement and the fact that Gary and Mary West were willing to act immediately by doing what is in the horse’s best interests. They’ve chosen not to race and I think that is a wise decision that puts the horse first.”

Good to hear horse will be fine. Was looking forward to him running here in decent field.

The next three Breeders’ Cups Dirt Mile races will be run at two turns, so this race (PARX Dirt Mile) has the potential to attract those runners as a prep.

The Breeders Cup Mile is the gift that keeps giving that's for SURE

I like it.

This Mile isn't really new. They've run the PA Derby Champion S. the last 4 years at 8.5f.

It felt like Lucy with the football. We were Charlie Brown, expecting an intended match up to actually go down with everybody in form and healthy, and the race happening without any disruption.

Over the years some hosses who really excelled at a flat mile did not have as much luck at a mile 1/16. Would be cool to remember their names, but that ship has sailed.

Care to elaborate for those of us not as informed.

I’m going to guess on Freddyspeak here so bare with me. I think he’s saying the BC Mile race has diluted the Sprint and Classic and was unnecessary.

If he’s not saying it, I am.

Hard not to see the Mile has meant the Sprint has fewer horses most years. The first year they ran the Mile was 2007. Here are the field sizes for the Sprint since the Mile and for 10 years before the Mile.

2007-10
2008-8
2009-9
2010-12
2011- 9
2012- 14
2013- 12
2014- 14
2015- 14
2016- 7
2017- 10
2018- 9

1997-14
1998- 14
1999- 14
2000- 14
2001- 14
2002- 13
2003- 13
2004- 13
2005- 11
2006- 14

And don't forget that the advent of the F&M Sprint ('07 at MTH I think/Maryfield) siphoned gals out of the Sprint too..

To me, that was a worse move than adding the Dirt Mile because the likes of Safely Kept, Meafara, Soviet Problem, Very Subtle, Xtra Heat, and a few others, proved that they didn’t need to have their own race to have a shot at winning.