One year after finishing a close second to fellow New York-bred Gitchee Goomie in the Dr. James Penny Memorial Handicap (gr. IIIT), Hessonite is back for another try at Parx Racing in this year's edition of the 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares.
Denied last year, William Punk Jr. and Philip DeLeo's Hessonite did pick up the first graded stakes win of her career when she deftly moved outside in the Beaugay Stakes (gr. III) and uncorked an impressive late kick to score in that May 4 turf race at Belmont Park in her 2013 debut.
A 5-year-old daughter of Freud , Hessonite has won half of her 20 career starts and has earned $804,644.
Among the seven other fillies and mares entered in Tuesday's race are Bert, Richard, and Elaine Klein's homebred two-time grade III winner Miz Ida, Hidden Brook Farm and Dan Zucker's recent Gallorette Handicap (gr. IIIT) winner Pianist, and Caroline Forgason's homebred grade III winner Somali Lemonade.
$250,000 Dr. James Penny Memorial Handicap (gr. III, race 8, approximate post time 3:34 p.m.) F&M, 3YO&Up, 1 1/16 miles (Turf)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, ML odds
1. Hessonite (NY), J. Velazquez, 118, D. Donk, 5-2
2. Peace Preserver (KY), J. Bisono, 117, T. Pletcher, 7-2
3. Miz Ida (KY), S. Bridgmohan, 118, S. Margolis, 3-1
4a. Laughing (IRE), R. Alvarado Jr., 116, A. Goldberg, 5-1
5. Pianist (KY), M. Smith, 117, C. Brown, 9-2
6a. Dinner's Out (GB), R. Alvarado Jr., 112, A. Goldberg, 5-1
7. Somali Lemonade (KY), J. Rosario, 118, M. Matz, 8-1
8. Naples Bay (KY), J. Lezcano, 116, C. Clement, 12-1
a=coupled entry