Superstar Jockeys Add Shine To Competitive Penn Mile

The $400,000 GIII Penn Mile, the lone graded stakes annually on the Penn National stakes schedule, has attracted a competitive field of 10 and, adding further intrigue to an already challenging handicapping puzzle Friday evening, is the presence of some of this country's top reinsmen, making a rare appearance at the Central Pennsylvania oval.

A good many were pushing for an Amerman Racing-owned son of Oscar Performance to contest the GII American Turf S. at Churchill Downs May 4, but GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks winner Endlessly opted for the GI Kentucky Derby instead. That left the door open for the owners' Trikari (Oscar Performance), who sat an inside trip, came out for the drive and edged away late to light up the tote to the tune of 47-1. Top California jockey Umberto Rispoli, fresh off a Grade I double at Santa Anita on Memorial Day, retains the mount for the Amermans and trainer Graham Motion.

Qatar Racing and Hunter Valley Farm's First World War (War Front) carried Tyler Gaffalione to a half-length success in the GIII Kitten's Joy S. at Gulfstream Feb. 3 and the $285,000 Fasig-Tipton November weanling endured a bit of a checkered passage when a low-odds ninth in Keeneland's GIII Transylvania S. Apr. 5. Frankie Dettori, who shipped in from Churchill to win the GIII Dinner Party S. at Pimlico two weekends ago and also spent the holiday weekend in California, takes the reins for Brendan Walsh.

With racing in New York on hiatus until the start of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival on Thursday, Flavien Prat makes the trip down to Grantville to ride Good Lord Lorrie (Hard Spun).  The chestnut is undefeated in his two racetrack appearances to day, including a strong-finishing victory in t he Apr. 27 Woodhaven S. at Aqueduct for George Weaver.

Also in town are Preakness-winning jockey Jaime Torres aboard 30-1 outsider I Know Map (Street Boss); Cristian Torres on the rail-drawn Aspenite (Constitution); and Javier Castellano atop Please Advise (Palace Malice).