Pennsylvania Derby 2025: Entries & Odds

Baeza 2-1 Favorite For $1M Pennsylvania Derby at Parx

A strong field of 10 3-year-olds, all seeking their first Grade 1 victory, will battle in the Grade 1, $1 million betPARX Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing on Saturday September 20.

Baeza, the favorite in the highly competitive field, is owned by Lee and Susan Searing's C R K Stable and Robert Clay's Grandview Equine. Trained by John Shirreffs, Baeza was made the 2-1 morning-line favorite by Parx's director of racing and racing secretary David Osojnak.

The 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby is the 14th of 15 races on the Saturday Parx card and has a post time of 6 p.m.

Baeza, who finished third in both the G1 Kentucky Derby and G1 Belmont Stakes, will be ridden by Hector Berrios, who has been aboard the son of McKinzie in four of his six starts, including his last race, a second-place finish in the G2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on July 26.

In the Jim Dandy, Baeza finished a length behind Sovereignty, who also got the best of him in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont. Baeza has one win in six career starts. He was also second in the G1 Santa Anita Derby, three-quarters of a length behind G1 Preakness winner Journalism.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the Pennsylvania Derby a record four times, will look for his fifth with Goal Oriented, the 5-2 second choice on the morning line.

Owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan, Goal Oriented will be ridden for the first time by five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Goal Oriented was last seen finishing third behind Journalism and Gosger in the G1 Haskell Stakes on July 19 at Monmouth Park. Gosger, trained by Brendan Walsh and owned by Harvey Clarke Racing Stables LLC, is the 4-1 third choice on the Pennsylvania Derby morning line. He will be ridden by Luis Saez.

Walsh will also run the lightly raced David of Athens (12-1), owned by Ike and Dawn Thrash. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who rode him in his two victories, will be aboard for the Nyquist colt's fourth start and first stakes attempt.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will saddle Winchell Thoroughbreds' Magnitude, who is 6-1 and returns with jockey Ben Curtis in the saddle. He was last seen finishing third in the G1 Travers last month at Saratoga.

Also entered are the Brian Lynch-trained Big Truzz (10-1), who won the Ellis Park Derby by seven lengths in his last start; G3 Ohio Derby winner Mo Plex (12-1) from the barn of Jeremiah Englehart; So Sandy (15-1), third in the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga for trainer Cherie DeVaux; Happily Delusional (30-1), fourth in the Smarty Jones at Parx for trainer Louis Linder Jr.; and Altobelli (50-1), who has three wins in nine starts for trainer James Nicholson Jr.

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Baeza, Citizen Bull Lead Nominations For Pennsylvania Derby

The $1 million, Grade 1 betPARX Pennsylvania Derby and $1 million, G1 Cotillion Stakes, the signature events on a blockbuster program set for Saturday, Sept. 20 at Parx Racing, attracted a strong group of early nominations led by 2024 Eclipse Award champion 2-year-olds Citizen Bull and Immersive, Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer, the classic-placed duo of Baeza and Gosger, Smarty Jones Stakes and Indiana Derby winner Tip Top Thomas, Coaching Club American Oaks winner Scottish Lassie and Black-Eyed Susan winner Margie's Intention.

The 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby attracted 18 nominations (pending late mail), led by Baeza, most recently second in the G2 Jim Dandy Stakes July 26 at Saratoga Race Course. Baeza also finished third behind Sovereignty and Journalism in this year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Citizen Bull, winner of last year's champion 2-year-old male Eclipse Award, won the 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar and the G1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita Park. Trained by four-time Pennsylvania Derby winner and Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Citizen Bull most recently won the Shared Belief Stakes Aug. 31 at Del Mar. Baffert also nominated Goal Oriented, fourth in the Preakness and third last time out in the G1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, and Nevada Beach, winner of the Los Alamitos Derby on June 28.

The nominations also include the first four finishers from the Smarty Jones Aug. 29 at Parx - Tip Top Thomas, Fact, Hypnus, and Happy Delusional - and the first two from the Ellis Park Derby Aug. 10 at Ellis Park - Big Truzz and Jimmy's Dailys. Other nominees include Ohio Derby winner Mo Plex, Iowa Derby winner and Travers Stakes third-place Magnitude, and West Virginia Derby winner Chunk of Gold. Altobelli, David of Athens, Just a Fair Shake, and So Sandy were among the other Pennsylvania Derby nominees.

Godolphin's Good Cheer, who ran her record to 7-for-7 with a victory in the Kentucky Oaks and most recently finished second in the G1 Alabama Stakes Aug. 16 at Saratoga, headlines the 18 early nominations for the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion Stakes. She's one of three nominated to the Cotillion by trainer Brad Cox, along with 2024 champion 2-year-old filly and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Immersive and Alabama Stakes third-place finisher Margie's Intention.

Scottish Lassie, a 15 ½-length winner of the Coaching Club American Oaks July 19 at Saratoga, is among the other early nominations for the Cotillion for trainer Jorge Abreu. She's joined by the 1-2-3 finishers from the Cathryn Sophia Stakes in Dry Powder, Ourdaydreaminggirl, and Disco Rules, along with G1 Acorn Stakes winner La Cara and graded stakes winners Clicquot, Fondly, Indy Bay, Look Forward, Om N Joy, and Quietside. Kappa Kappa, Not Too Late, and Polecat are also nominated.

The Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion headline the Sept. 20 card that also includes the $400,000, G2 Gallant Bob Stakes for 3-year-olds at 6 furlongs; the $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile Stakes for 3-year-olds and up; the G3, $200,000 Greenwood Cup for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/2 miles; the $150,000 Parx Sprint Stakes for 4-year-olds and up at 6 1/2 furlongs; and the $150,000 Liberty Bell Stakes for 3-year-olds and up fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs.

The weekend kicks off with a trio of stakes events on Friday's card - two $100,000 events for Pennsylvania-bred and sired 2-year-olds in the Prince Lucky Stakes and Imply Stakes, and the $100,000 Storm Cat Stakes for Pennsylvania-bred 3-year-olds and up.