Pennsylvania Derby 2013 Contenders at Parx Racing

Las Vegas, NV - Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pennsylvania will be the scene of the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby this Saturday, September 21. A group of three year olds will take to Parx's dirt track and race 1 1/8 miles for a very nice purse of $1 million.

A field of eight three year olds had been confirmed for the Pennsylvania Derby - race 11 on Parx's stacked Saturday card. Post time is 5:45 PM. Let's takes a brief glance into the past performances of all eight entries for this lucrative Grade 1 stakes - a race that looks as though will come down to the 1-2 finishers of the recent Travers.

2013 Pennsylvania Derby Race Favorite Entries

Will Take Charge - was one of the only colts to race all three legs of the Triple Crown finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby, seventh in the Preakness and tenth in the Belmont. This after an impressive win in the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn Park in March. A lot was expected of this colt for trainer D. Wayne Lukas but he had fallen flat on the biggest stages before a tremendous win last time out in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga August 24. He has placed in just five of his last nine starts but had his biggest effort in some time before the Travers score - a second ahead of Moreno and behind Palace Malice in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes July 27. Will Take Charge has been terrific in his last two starts and appear to finally be realizing the form many expected of him. He breaks from the far outside post Saturday.

Moreno - improving Eric Guillot pupil raced to a seventh in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes in August 2012 in his second career start and concentrated on MSW races in his next eight starts. His only win in those races came by 6 1/4 lengths at Belmont Park June 8. Recently he stepped back into graded stakes company and he won the Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes in impressive fashion by seven lengths July 6 and followed that with a respectable third behind Palace Malice and Will Take Charge in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes July 27. Last time out was a good second in the Grade 1 Travers behind Will Take Charge again. He will be out to finally overtake his old nemesis Will Take Charge and based on recent form, he should at very least be a serious threat. Jose Ortiz will be in the saddle from post 3.

Pennsylvania Derby 2013 | Remaining Contenders

Transparent - Kiaran McLaughlin trained colt ran six MSW races to start his career with mixed results - the peak coming January 1 when he finally broke maiden in his sixth career start. He went on to a sixth in his stakes debut in the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct in March and has three starts since - an Allowance score April 4 and a fifth after a DQ in the minor Curlin Stakes on this track July 26 and a distant ninth last time out in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga August 24. Transparent isn't in the best of form ahead of the Pennsylvania but will wear lasix for the first time and is a coupled entry along with....

Romansh - Thomas Albertini trained colt made his graded stakes debut with an OK fifth last time out in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga August 24 after a nice win in his stakes debut - the minor Curlin Stakes on this track July 26. Before that was a MSW score in May at Belmont Park - his only other win in five career starts.

Battier - Todd Pletcher trained colt has four wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 10 career starts and is coming off a fourth in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes on this track September 2 after an OK third in the Grade 3 Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga August 9 and his worst career effort - a sixth in the Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park July 6. Prior to that he placed in three straight minor stakes races - the best result being a win in the one mile Fit to Fight Stakes at Aqueduct in April. He has been in the money in eight of 10 career starts and is yet another quality entry for the Penn Derby.

Pennsylvania Derby betting at Parx Racing with OffTrackBetting.com

Speak Logistics - started his career with a fourth place finish but won his next two starts - a Maiden Special Weight at Monmouth August 18 and the Florida Stallion In Reality Stakes October 13 at Calder by 2 3/4 lengths while earning a 90 Beyer Speed figure. He was seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November and started 2013 with a fourth in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis February 2. He has since placed in all four of his starts - a third in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in February and a trio of seconds - the Calder Derby in April, an Allowance Optional Claiming at Monmouth August 10 and the Grade 3 Smarty Jones right here September 2. He has two wins, three seconds and a third place finish in nine career starts and will be looking for his first win since October but enters in decent form.

Java's War - Kenneth McPeek colt was last seen running fourth July 4 in the Grade 2 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park after a disappointing thirteenth in the Kentucky Derby in May. The leadup to the Derby was his most impressive race to date - a win in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes over Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice at Keeneland April 13. Before that was good second in his only start after nearly four months away in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby behind Verrazano March 9. He also had an OK third in the Dixiana in October and was sixth at the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs November 24. He showed terrific potential before the Kentucky Derby and will be looking to get back to that solid form in his first start in 2 1/2 months.

Fury Kapcori - Jerry Hollendorfer colt most finished second in the Real Quiet Stakes here November 10 after a win in the minor Charlie Palmer Futurity at Fresno October and ended his 2012 campaign with a respectable second in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity. He was out of action eight months after that race and returned August 1 to a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Del Mar. Last time out was a fourth in the minor El Cajon Stakes August 30.

2013 Pennsylvania Derby Entries & Odds

Race 11 on Parx Racing's Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:45 PM.