2016 Commonwealth Derby Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The Grade 3 Commonwealth Derby presented by the Virginia Equine Alliance at Laurel Park will be run this Saturday, September 24 at Laurel Park Racecourse in Maryland City, Maryland. A group of three year olds will take to Laurel Park's turf track and race 1 1/8 miles searching for the winner's share of the $200,000 purse.

A group of 10 three year olds will line up in the Commonwealth Derby - race 7 on Laurel Park's Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:10 PM. Let's take a look into the past performances of all 10 combatants for this intriguing Grade 2 stakes.

2016 Commonwealth Derby Race Preview at Laurel Park

American Patriot 5-2 - has placed in six of seven career starts for trainer Todd Pletcher - three wins and three third place finishes. He enters off a respectable third in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington August 13 after a good win in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park July 16, an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Laurel Park June 25 and an uncharacteristic tenth in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs in May. American Patriot is the most experienced entry in the field and has looked decent in top company. He tries for his third win in four starts and fourth win in six when he departs from gate 2 with Trevor McCarthy aboard the morning line favorite.

Isotherm 7-2 - has two wins, a second and a third place finish in seven career starts for trainer George Weaver. He was last seen running a quality third in the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes at Saratoga September 3 after an OK fifth in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes in August and a good second in the Grade 3 Dania Beach Stakes with a career best 87 Beyer Speed Figure at Gulfstream Park in January. Before that was an eleventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and a breakthrough win in the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes at Laurel Park September 26. Isotherm has been OK so far in his career and hopes for a first stakes score Saturday from the outside gate 10. Feargal Lynch will be in the saddle of the second betting choice.

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Revved Up 5-1 - late developing Shug McGaughey trained colt has placed in four of seven career starts - two wins, a second and a third place finish. He makes his stakes debut Saturday on a two race win streak - an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out August 27 and a maiden score by 1 3/4 lengths July 9. They followed a second and a third respectively in a pair of MSW races in the spring. Revved Up has been improving and steps up in decent form. Jose Ortiz has been tabbed to ride from post 5 as the morning line third choice.

Deeply Undervalued 6-1 - has one win and three runner-up finishes in five career starts for trainer Chad Brown. He makes his stakes debut Saturday off a second behind Revved Up in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Saratoga August 27, a maiden score on that track July 30 and consecutive seconds in MSW races at Laurel Park early in the summer. Deeply Undervalued had been decent lately and looks ready for his step up in competition. Manuel Franco will guide him from post 7 Saturday.

He'll Pay 10-1 - Larry Jones trained colt has two wins, three seconds and a third place finish in 12 career starts. He arrives on the heels of two straight runner-up finishes - an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out on this track August 21 and behind American Patriot in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park July 16. Before that was a troubled fourth in the minor Stanton Stakes June 22, a fifth in the minor James W. Murphy Stakes at Pimlico in May and a two race win streak - the best of which coming in the minor Rushaway Stakes at Turfway Park in April. He'll Pay has been OK so far and will be out to replicate his form from five starts back - from post 3. Gabriel Saez has the mount.

Whatawonderfulworld 10-1 - Mark Casse trained Ringling has hit the board in six of his seven career starts - three wins, two seconds and a third place finish. He enters off consecutive runner-up finishes - the minor Mystic Lady Derby by a nose at Canterbury Park August 27 and the minor John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park in March after a sixth in his only graded stakes action to date - the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay in February and a two race win streak - the best of which coming in the minor OBS Championship Stakes at Ocala Training Center in January. Whatawonderfulworld has been competitive every time out and hopes to continue that trend from gate 6 Saturday. Daniel Centeno will be in the irons.

Scholar Athlete 10-1 - Graham Motion trained gelding has just two wins and two third place finishes in 10 career starts. He enters off consecutive fourths in minor stakes action at Woodbine - the Breeders' Stakes August 21 and the Queen's Plate July 3. Those results followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Laurel Park May 12 and off-the-board finishes in two stakes tries - the minor Rushaway Stakes at Turfway Park in April and the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream in February. Scholar Athlete has placed in just one of his last five starts but has been knocking on the door lately of a quality finish. Jockey Edgar Prado will try to get him that from gate 4 Saturday.

Artie Thriller 15-1 - Flint Stites trained gelding has two wins, a second and two third place finishes in eight career starts. Last time out was a seventh in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Penn National September 15 which followed a second and a third respectively in a pair of similar races on that track this past summer. Artie Thriller arrives at his graded stakes debut in inconsistent form and hopes for a breakthrough from gate 8 Saturday. Jeremy Rose gets the call.

Stevie Q 15-1 - Timothy Keefe trained gelding has six career starts with three wins and a third place finish. He makes his stakes debut Saturday on a two race win streak - a Claiming last time out at Saratoga August 5 and an Allowance at Monmouth Park July 9. Before that was third in an Allowance at Monmouth Park in May and a Claiming score at Aqueduct in April. Stevie Q has been very good the last five months and will look to keep an impressive roll going in his step up Saturday. Sheldon Russell has been tabbed to ride.

Franklin Towers 30-1 - Jane Cibelli trained gelding won the minor Lamplighter Stakes at Monmouth Park two starts back on July 23 - his best result to date. He didn't look great before and after that win however - a seventh last time out in an Allowance Optional Claiming September 3 and an eighth in an Allowance on this track July 4. He also posted a maiden score in June and a second in a MSW here in May. Franklin Towers has been a tad tough to figure out ahead of his graded stakes debut. He tries for a second win in three starts and a third win in five starts from gate 8 Saturday. Jevian Toledo has the mount.

2016 Commonwealth Derby Entries & Odds

Race 7 on Laurel Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:10 PM.