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Spendthrift Farm’s Grade 1 winner Further Ado tries to return to the form that landed him the favorite’s role for the Kentucky Derby (G1) when he takes on 10 others Saturday in a competitive renewal of the $1-million betPARX Pennsylvnia Derby (G1) at Parx Racing.
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The 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby, co-featured on the strong 15-race card with the Grade 1 Cotillion, also drew graded stakes winners Iron Honor, The Puma and Zihnal along with stakes winners Talk to Me Jimmy, Our Moneyman, Igniter, Micanopy, and Ponder and Dream.
Further Ado, winner of the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes and Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes this spring and the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes last year, drew post seven for the Pennsylvania Derby and is the 2-1 favorite on the morning line set by Parx’s Director of Racing and Racing Secretary David Osojnak.
Trained by Brad Cox, the 3-year-old son of Gun Runner will be ridden for the first time in the Pennsylvania Derby by Flavien Prat. He’s won four of nine starts and $1,476,958 – the highest earnings in the field – and comes off a fifth on a sloppy track in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational in late July at Monmouth Park.
The Puma heads into the Pennsylvania Derby off back-to-back fourth-place efforts in Grade 1 stakes – the Haskell and Travers at Saratoga Race Course – for owners OGMA Investments, High Step Racing, TCC Stables and JR Racing. Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the son of Essential Quality won the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby and finished a nose behind Commandment in the Grade 1 Florida Derby to head to Churchill Downs as one of the leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby. He scratched the morning of the race due to leg swelling and his connections plotted out a summer and fall campaign. The Puma is the 4-1 second choice on the morning line.
Iron Honor, winner of the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct in late February and 5-1 third choice, also comes out of the Haskell. He finished third there for trainer Chad Brown, after a second to Napoleon Solo in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park. Owned by St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence and Glassman Racing, the son of Nyquist will be ridden in the Pennsylvania Derby by Jose Ortiz.
Augustin Stable’s Zihnal makes his third straight Derby start after a fourth in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby – behind eventual Travers winner Leading Change and Our Moneyman – and a victory in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park. Trained by Jonathan Thomas, the son of Quality Road drew the rail and reunites with John Velazquez for the Pennsylvania Derby. He’s 8-1 on the morning line, along with Our Moneyman and Ellis Park Derby winner Igniter.
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KAS Stables’ Our Moneyman makes his Grade 1 debut for trainer Bret Calhoun. First or second in eight of nine starts, the son of Mr. Money exits two seconds in the Grade 3 Matt Winn and Grade 3 Indiana Derby. Manny Franco rides Our Moneyman.
Micanopy, Ponder and Dream and Freedom’s Echo finished 1-2-3 in the top local prep, the $200,000 Smarty Jones Stakes, and return for the Pennsylvania Derby. Micanopy’s connections could be in for a bigger payday if the Florida-bred son of Uncle Chuck wins. Owner Jane Perry and trainer Michael Simone would each receive a $50,000 bonus for the Smarty Jones-Pennsylvania Derby sweep.
The 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby is the 14th of 15 races on the Saturday Parx card with a post time of 5:48 p.m. ET. The Pennsylvania Derby and Grade 1 Cotillion for 3-year-old fillies headline Saturday’s card that kicks off at 10:35 a.m. (ET).
The card also includes the $400,000, Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes for 3-year-olds at 6 furlongs; the $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile Stakes for 3-year-olds and up; and the $150,000 Greenwood Cup for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/2 miles, the $150,000 Liberty Bell Stakes for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, at 6 1/2 furlongs, the $150,000 Stable Recovery Stakes for 4-year-olds and up at 6 1/2 furlongs, and the $150,000 Philly Special for fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, at 1 mile and 70 yards.
The field for the Pennsylvania Derby from the rail out with trainer, jockey, morning-line odds:
Zihnal, Jonathan Thomas, John Velazquez, 8-1
Iron Honor, Chad Brown, Jose Ortiz, 5-1
Our Moneyman, Bret Calhoun, Manny Franco, 8-1
Igniter, Richard Dutrow Jr., Luis Saez, 8-1
Talk to Me Jimmy, Rudy Rodriguez, Ruben Silvera, 12-1
The Puma, Gustavo Delgado, Javier Castellano, 4-1
Further Ado, Brad Cox, Flavien Prat, 2-1
Freedom’s Echo, Guadalupe Preciado, Paco Lopez, 20-1
Sassmaster, Todd Pletcher, Tyler Gaffalione, 10-1
Micanopy, Michael Simone, Paco Lopez, 15-1
Ponder and Dream, Robert Reid Jr., Mychel Sanchez, 20-1
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 2:44 PM.