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Jessica Paquette To Join Parx Broadcast Team On Pennsylvania Derby Day

Racing analyst Jessica Paquette will join the Parx Racing broadcast team on Saturday, Sept. 25 to cover the star-studded Pennsylvania Derby Day card featuring the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and $1 million Cotillion Stakes (G1) alongside seven additional stakes races on both turf and dirt.

“The Pennsylvania Derby is shaping up to be one of the most exciting races of the year,” said Paquette. “I am thrilled to come on board and can't wait to get to share the experience with fans through a great broadcast and social media.”

Paquette, a native of Massachusetts, recently finished up the summer at Colonial Downs as the paddock host and handicapper. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, she previously has worked as the paddock handicapper at Suffolk Downs and as a racing analyst at Sam Houston. In June, she also took to the announcer's booth for a weekend of Quarter Horse racing at Sam Houston.

Entries will be taken for the Pennsylvania Derby Day card on Monday, Sept. 20.

“Jessica is a star and will be a tremendous addition to our coverage on PA Derby and Cotillion day” said Parx Track Announcer, Chris Griffin.

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Hot Rod Charlie, Medina Spirit Among Early PA Derby Noms

GSW Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) heads the early nominations for the Sept 25 GI Pennsylvania Derby. The nine-furlong marquee race for 3-year-olds highlights a stacked card which features eight stakes races, including five at the graded level. The Pennsylvania Derby was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic.

“We're still a few works away, but we're real optimistic about Charlie's next stop, the Pennsylvania Derby,” said trainer Doug O'Neill. “The race looks to be coming up tough, which one would expect with a million dollars on the line.”

Winner of the GII Louisiana Derby earlier this spring, the colt finished third in the GI Kentucky Derby before placing second in the GI Belmont S. In his latest start, he crossed the wire first in the July 17 GI Haskell Invitational S. at Momouth, but was demoted to seventh after interfering with eventual winner Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow), who is also among early nominees.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who has already registered a trio of Pennsylvania Derby wins with McKinzie (2018), West Coast (2017) and Bayern (2014), has a trio nominated for 2021. Medina Spirit (Protonico), winner of this year's GI Kentucky Derby, subsequently finished third in the GI Preakness S. He most recently returned to action with a win in Del Mar's Shared Belief S. Aug. 29. Other possibilities from the Baffert barn are MGSP Defunded (Dialed In) and SP Bobby Bo (Speightster).

“I like to see how they are doing and how they are training,” said Baffert. “Whoever is doing well, great. Then they will go. I'll let them tell me, how they're training. They are going to have to show me in the mornings. I have had a lot of luck there because I have brought really good horses up there.”

Also among early nominees: GI Runhappy Traver S. scorer Essential Quality (Tapit); GIII Dwyer S. winner First Captain (Curlin), third for trainer Shug McGaughey in his latest start in the Curlin S. at Saratoga; and Life Is Good (Into Mischief), runner-up in the Aug. 28 GI H. Allen Jerkens S.

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Medina Spirit, Rock Your World Both Under Consideration For Awesome Again, Pennsylvania Derby

Following Sunday's battle in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar, first and second-place finishers Medina Spirit and Rock Your World could be pointing to the same next race, according to the Daily Racing Form.

The $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 25 at Parx is one option both camps are considering, while the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 2 is the other. The Pennsylvania Derby is restricted to 3-year-olds but requires a cross-country ship; the Awesome Again would pit the sophomores against older horses, but doesn't require a major ship and also offers an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Trainer John Sadler was pleased with Rock Your World's effort in the Shared Belief, and is in no hurry to decide the Santa Anita Derby winner's next start.

“I thought he ran well,” Sadler told DRF. “I liked the fact that he kept digging all the way to the wire. It wasn't like he got beat and backed up. It was a good, strong race.”

Meanwhile, Bob Baffert is looking forward to the future with Medina Spirit.

“A mile and a quarter, a mile and a half, I think he could handle anything, that horse,” Baffert told DRF. “He came back great. It was an exciting race. The fans were into it. That was nice to see. It was good racing.”

Medina Spirit Supplemented to Shared Belief

Medina Spirit (Protonico) was supplemented, at a cost of $1,000, to Sunday's Shared Belief S., a one-mile event for 3-year-olds on the Del Mar main track. The $100,000 contest will be the first start for the colt since finishing third–beaten five lengths–by Rombauer in the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico May 15. His victory in the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby victory remains in limbo pending a Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ruling.

“I've entered him, he's running,” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. “I figure I'll use this as a prep for the Penn [$1-million GI Pennsylvania Derby, Sept. 25) and see how he likes this track.”

In his most recent work Monday, the dark bay covered five furlongs in :58.60, finishing on par with stablemate Ax Man for the fastest of 68 works at the distance and better than a half-second quicker than the next fastest move.

“He worked a little fast but he came out of it good,” Baffert said. “He's going to need the race, coming off a layoff, and he's got to go a mile. But, if I can run him here that will set him up to go on to the Pennsylvania Derby.”

Also scheduled to contest the Shared Belief is Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}), who defeated Medina Spirit by four lengths in the Apr. 3 GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. Rock Your World, trained by John Sadler, subsequently finished 17th in the Kentucky Derby and sixth–beaten 22 lengths by Essential Quality–in the GI Belmont S. June 5.

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