The Puma (Essential Quality- Eve of War, by Declaration of War) made a sweeping move on the far turn to take the lead and held off fellow OBS graduate Further Ado to win the $1 million, Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing on Sept. 19, leading the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week.

    Owned by High Step Racing, OGMA Investments, TCC Stables, YNG Stables and JR Ranch, The Puma opened a three-length advantage at the stretch call, which turned out to be enough, winning by a half-length to earn his first top-level score. “He went very fast. You always want to win the Grade 1," trainer Gustavo Delgado told Parx publicity. “For all the people, the family, it’s very good. The best race for me is right now. Very happy and very exciting. Right now, we will wait before thinking about the Breeders’ Cup. We will go back to Saratoga, and we will meet with my partners and my son (assistant trainer Gustavo Jr.) and then decide.”

    The Puma was purchased by Marquee Bloodstock for $150,000 out of the Hidden Brook consignment at the 2025 OBS April Sale after breezing in :10 flat.

    The Sept. 19 card at Parx also saw Kaleem Shah’s Stradale (Yaupon-Twitterpated, by Stormy Atlantic) pick up his first graded stakes win on dirt and second straight overall in the $400,000 Gallant Bob (G2).

    Trained by Steve Asmussen, Stradale came into the Gallant Bob off back-to-back turf sprint stakes at Saratoga Race Course including a narrow win in the Grade 3 Mahony. He was a $1.3 million purchase by his owner at the 2025 OBS April Sale from the de Meric Sales consignment after breezing in :9 4/5.

    At Presque Isle Downs Sept. 18, St. Elias Stable, BAG Racing Stables LLC, Turf Express, Inc and Watkins Diamond Stables LLC’s Reagan’s Flame (Flameaway – Mizzen Donald, by Mizzen Mast) scored a three-quarter length win in the $300,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters (G2) to earn the third graded stakes win of her career

    Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., the 5-year-old daughter of Flameaway was purchased by dual classic winning trainer Cherie DeVaux for $185,000 at the 2023 OBS April Sale from the consignment of Eddie Woods after breezing in :10 1/5.

    Also at Presque Isle Downs Sept. 18, Neoequos (Neolithic—Bold Birdie, by Birdstone) captured the $150,000 Presque Isle Mile Stakes by 4 3/4 lengths. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr.  and owned by C2 Racing Stable LLC, Ian Parsard, Shining Stables LLC, Stefania Farms LLC, Ken Reimer, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch, Neoequos was purchased by Joseph for $22,000 at the 2023 OBS October Yearling Sale from the consignment of Abbie Road Farm.

    The Presque Isle Downs card on Sept. 18 also saw Bossy Wossy (Maclean's Music—Family Friend, by Lemon Drop Kid) capture the $100,000 Fitz Dixon, Jr. Memorial Juvenile Stakes by five lengths to earn his first career stakes win. Owned and trained by Juan Arriagada, Bossy Wossy was purchased by Arriagada for $10,000 at the 2026 OBS April Sale from the Double R Equine Sales consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    The Sept. 19 card at Parx also saw WSS Racing’s U Lite Up My Life (City of Light—Dido, by Bernstein) win the $150,000 Philly Special Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths. The 5-year-old mare, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., earned the first stakes victory of her career. The daughter of City of Light was purchased by The Winning Stables at the 2023 OBS April Sale for $30,000 from the Eddie Woods consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    Happy Tenth Stable’s Buccherino (Bucchero – Bellimbusto, by First Dude) was another winner on the Sept. 19 card at Parx, capturing the $150,000 Stable Recovery Stakes by a head. Trained by Alfredo Velazquez, the 5-year-old son of OBS graduate Bucchero was purchased for $75,000 from the Blue River Bloodstock, Inc. consignment at the 2023 OBS April Sale after breezing in :10 flat.

    The undercard of the Pennsylvania Derby card at Parx also saw DeSales 85’s Icona Mama (Maximus Mischief-Classe Signora, by Bernstein) score a two-length victory in the $150,000 Liberty Bell Stakes. Trained by Flint Stites, she was purchased by her owner for $75,000 at the 2024 OBS April Sale from the Grassroots Training and Sales consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

    At Woodbine Sept. 19, Epic Style (Good Magic—Final Mesa, by Sky Mesa) won the $89,387 Sweet Briar Too by 1 1/4 lengths to earn her first stakes victory. Trained by Michael Stidham for Speedway Stables, Epic Style was purchased by her owners for $300,000 at the 2024 OBS April Sale from the Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds consignment after breezing in :10 flat. comments powered by Disqus