Waterway Run Home for 'PA Day at the Races'

Multiple grade/group III stakes winner Waterway Run will make her first start in her home state when she takes on fellow Pennsylvania-bred fillies and mares in the $100,000 Mrs. Penny Stakes on the grass Sept. 6 at Parx Racing.

The Mrs. Penny, at 1 1/16 miles, is one of five stakes for Pennsylvania-breds on the "Pennsylvania's Day at the Races" program. There are seven other races on the 12-race card also for state-breds, including two maiden special weight events for 2-year-olds.

Owned by Martin Schwartz and trained by Chad Brown, Waterway Run raced in England, winning the Sakhee Oh So Sharp Stakes (Eng-III), before making her United States debut at 2 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita Park. The 4-year-old Arch   filly finished an even sixth in that event and returned to Europe for her 2013 campaign.

Waterway Run returned to the states this past winter. She finished second in the Hillsborough Stakes (gr. IIIT) and won the Beaugay Stakes (gr. IIIT) before finishing sixth in the grade I Just A Game Stakes on the grass. The filly hasn't raced since July 4, when she finished third in the Perfect Sting Stakes on the grass at Belmont Park.

Brown this year has 14 starts at Parx with 12 wins and one second-place finish.

The other 2014 stakes winner in the Mrs. Penny is Norris Gelman, Daniel McConnell, and trainer Michael Salvaggio's Lenape Rim, who took the Lyphard Stakes for Pennsylvania-bred females on the turf at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in late May. Lenape Rim, a 5-year-old Rimrod   mare, has 10 wins and 12 placed finishes from 33 starts in her career and is approaching the $500,000 mark in earnings.

The other stakes on the program each are worth $75,000: the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs, the Marshall Jenney Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at five furlongs on the turf, the Banjo Picker for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs, and the Roanoke Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles.

In the Marshall Jenney, the highweight at 122 pounds is Cavanaugh and Breen Farm's This Ain't No Bull, who won the event last year and has two other wins at five furlongs on the grass at Parx. The 7-year-old Holy Bull gelding trained by Cynthia Reese has faced the likes of Ben's Cat, Tightend Touchdown, and Marchman in stakes this year.

In at 115 pounds is the improving Harlan's Holiday 4-year-old colt Oklahoma Crude, who has won his last three starts for owner Barlar LLC and trainer Bernard Houghton. Oklahoma Crude, who didn't make his career debut until March of this year, broke his maiden at five furlongs on the turf at Penn National and in his last two starts won allowances races on the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs & Casino.

Purses for Pennsylvania's Day at the Races will total about $634,000.