My hopes for the Queens County Stakes at Aqueduct over the weekend were completely dashed when five horses scratched. The field quickly morphed from interesting to embarrassingly short-staffed. Then, I spied this ridiculously named stakes race on the Tuesday card at Parx and a few questions were answered.
The Kris Kringle Stakes seems to be the event some trainers considered a backup to the Queens County. Two horses I really liked over the weekend, Surface to Air and Repo Rocks, were entered in both fields and seemed to scratch at Aqueduct when that field came up tough on a sloppy track. It’s a practical move by the trainers, but it was a little disappointing as a fan. I shouldn’t have to chase these cool horses all over the country, and yet, that seems to be exactly what I’m doing.
So let’s try this again. I don’t like betting at Parx under normal circumstances, but the track is basically Aqueduct’s Triple-A affiliate during the winter. This field features some interesting runners that are capable of competing anywhere, and I believe it’s well worth taking a look through the field on a day of sparse racing action throughout the country. Let’s see where this chase takes me.
Parx, Race 7
Kris Kringle Stakes for Three-Year-Olds and Upward, 1 1/16 Miles on the Dirt
Post Time: 2:47 p.m. ET
1- Offaly Cool
The layoff is the obvious issue here, as he hasn’t raced since January 2024. Though his four-year-old campaign never got off the ground, he was clearly on his way to becoming a talented runner, mixing it up well at this level before the long break. He could easily return to form in the near future, especially on this Parx track, but as one that seems most comfortable near the front, it may be especially hard for him to fire fresh in this spot.
2- Surface to Air
I liked this colt underneath in my Queens County Stakes analysis over the weekend, but trainer Panagiotis Synnefias clearly wanted to find a softer spot. As I wrote on Sunday, he’s raced well in New York and Kentucky in recent months, putting the pieces together extremely well for four victories (plus one nullified by DQ) in seven starts. A win in October at Keeneland over Creative Minister and other salty Kentucky runners was especially impressive. His closing style could be a liability over this Parx track, but there also figures to be a lot of pace up front. I’m still interested.
3- Concealed Carry
This gelding is trending in the right direction, but the challenges remain the same as they’ve been for his entire career. When he manages to get a comfortable lead, he can be very dangerous regardless of the level. But when he gets any sort of early challenge, he tends to fold. This race figures to have plenty of early speed types, which could make it a tall order for this improving runner.
4- Lonesome Boy
This three-year-old is well on his way to a solid career, but for the moment, he still seems to be a step below the best runners in this older field. He has an admirable habit of sticking around for minor checks even while in way over his head, but a win at this level feels out of reach for now.
5- Deposition (SCRATCHED)
Another three-year-old that isn’t quite ready to compete at this level yet. He has followed fellow runner Lonesome Boy around throughout his career and has come up short to that rival each time.
6- Market Maven
I won’t pretend to know how Pennsylvania statebred stakes races stack up to the state’s open company events, but in any case, it feels like this gelding has failed to capitalize on some prime winning opportunities this year. Two specific instances stand out, as he got closer-friendly tracks in both the Storm Cat and Chocolate Town, failing to finish better than third in either start. His speed figures improved in those races, likely as a result of the bias, but on fair tracks, his speed figures simply don’t stack up to the best in this field. Kendrick Carmouche is a curious addition to this puzzle, but there are still better options.
7- Irish Cork
Remember what I was saying about Market Maven? Failing to capitalize on closer-friendly tracks? Well this gelding was the one that got the job done in the Storm Cat back in August, earning a 93 BSF that fits here. The problem is that he hasn’t delivered that sort of performance in three starts since. He has his excuses. Three starts back, he started awkwardly, a problem that came up again last time out when he unseated his rider. In October, he ran well to finish third by a neck in a stakes race at this track while traveling wide into the stretch. He has his drawbacks and doesn’t always fire his best shot, but plenty of early speed in this field should at least give him a target.
8- Repo Rocks
Jamie Ness scratched this old-timer from the Queens County over the weekend in order to get him into this field. His days of winning in graded stakes competition are likely behind him, but returning to his old trainer’s barn has rejuvenated him somewhat. Before racing over his head in graded stakes fields at Aqueduct in his last two starts, he ran very well behind talented runner Coastal Mission in the Parx Dirt Mile back in September. Tactical speed may be the way to go here, and he can fight for the lead but has won plenty of times without it. The distance here may be a little longer than he prefers, but he’s still the one to beat.
9- Movisitor
This colt has struggled to put two races together throughout his career, with one successful stint over the summer standing out among an otherwise tattered record. Last time out in the Turkey Trot, he fought for the lead early, his typical style, but eventually fell apart in one of the worst performances of his career. He has previously had no issue bouncing back from such starts, and his unique form pattern is likely concealing the fact that he firmly belongs at this level. Even at his best, however, he hasn’t managed to cash in for a stakes victory yet, and the pace projections for this race may he against him.
Order: 8 2 7 1
Repo Rocks was miles better than these sorts of runners in his best days, but I think he still has enough to take them on now. The distance is a minor issue, but at a mile over this racetrack in September, he came up just short to a very strong rival. I think he’s the pick. Surface to Air was another runner I liked over the weekend, and he still makes a ton of sense in this field. I’m fading him slightly because of his inexperience with this unique Parx track, but he remains a strong win candidate. Irish Cork has had his share of adversity in recent starts, but when things are going his way, he has proven that he can win a race like this. I think things swing more in his direction this time. Offaly Cool should be a contender to win against fields like this in the near future, but I’d like to see a start off the long layoff first.