If there were an award for champion underlay among this crop of 3-year-olds, Further Ado would be the leading contender. This guy can really burn money.
Further Ado is back in action Saturday in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing, the last major stakes of the season in the division. He is the 2-1 favorite, an unappealing prospect, against 10 rivals at 1 1/8 miles.
Make no mistake: Further Ado can win this race. His credentials this year include wins in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) by a rousing 11 lengths and an easy win in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3). In both instances, the return was mere pocket change. He was favored at 4-5 in the Blue Grass and was 3-5 in the Matt Winn.
When asked to step up against more earnest competition, Further Ado has a history of burying his backers. Off the Blue Grass win, Further Ado was the 5-1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby (G1), where he reported home a dismal 11th.
The Matt Winn was his tune-up for the Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park, where he caught a sloppy track and finished fifth, crushing the chalk players who bet him down to even money.
The moral of this tale is: bet him at a short price if you must, but don’t come crying when you deposit your tickets in the trash can.
Trainer Brad Cox is quick to jump to the defense of Further Ado.
"People say he's not consistent, but I think he's pretty consistent," Cox said. "I do like running at Monmouth—we've had success, we've won the Haskell twice -- but it can be a weird, odd racetrack; it can be a very odd racetrack. I found that sometimes whatever happens at Monmouth kind of stays at Monmouth. I don't put a tremendous amount of stock in what happens over there when it doesn't work out. We've had a lot of horses that we thought should go over there and get the job done, and they make it a little closer on the good end and bad end than we feel like it needed to be. He's a solid horse."
Frankly, Brad, that sounds like a bulging bucket of sour grapes.
We’re looking elsewhere ... and that takes us to The Puma (4-1). Fans remember him as the heart-breaking loser by a nose in the Florida Derby (G1). He was forced to the sidelines when a skin infection flared on the morning of the Kentucky Derby, resulting in his being scratched from the race.
The Puma launched his comeback in the Haskell and ran a respectable fourth in the return. From there, it was on to the Travers Stakes (G1) to face the heavyweights in the division. He dug in to finish fourth, only 3 ¼ lengths behind rising star Leading Change.
His speed figures have improved with each race of the comeback; trainer Gustavo Delgado is adding blinkers to improve the colt’s focus, and this is an easier spot compared to the Travers. He is certainly fair value at 4-1.
The Puma is coming back on relatively short rest considering the Travers was Aug. 29. That’s not an issue, according to assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado, Jr.
“There is nothing you can complain about, energy-wise,” Delgado Jr. said. “Everything seems to be in place. He is eating everything and is showing us all the signs you would look for. Coming back in three weeks? When he did it in the Florida Derby, it was his best race.
“The Travers was a good race for him. Tough race, tough competition. He showed he belonged with the group. Now, of course, we are aware that this won’t be easy. This is a Grade 1, and it’s a million bucks.”
Let’s complete our Pennsylvania Derby exacta with Iron Honor (5-1) from the Chad Brown barn. He will also add blinkers following his rally to get third in the Haskell.
The Pennsylvania Derby is race 14 on the Parx card with post time set for 5:48 p.m. ET.
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zihnal (KY) | J. R. Velazquez | Jonathan Thomas | 8/1 |
| 2 | Iron Honor (KY) | Jose L. Ortiz | Chad C. Brown | 5/1 |
| 3 | Our Moneyman (LA) | Manuel Franco | William B. Calhoun | 8/1 |
| 4 | Igniter (KY) | Luis Saez | Richard E. Dutrow Jr. | 8/1 |
| 5 | Talk to Me Jimmy (NY) | Ruben Silvera | Rudy R. Rodriguez | 12/1 |
| 6 | The Puma (KY) | Javier Castellano | Gustavo Delgado | 4/1 |
| 7 | Further Ado (KY) | Flavien Prat | Brad H. Cox | 2/1 |
| 8 | Freedom's Echo (KY) | TBA | Guadalupe Preciado | 20/1 |
| 9 | Sassmaster (KY) | Tyler Gaffalione | Todd A. Pletcher | 10/1 |
| 10 | Micanopy (FL) | Paco Lopez | Michael V. Simone | 15/1 |
| 11 | Ponder and Dream (PA) | Mychel J. Sanchez | Robert E. Reid Jr. | 20/1 |
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
