Clorevia Farm’s Dr. Skip confirmed the promise of his maiden steeplechase victory when he made a big move on Parx’s final turn, jumped the last fence with a six-length lead, and drew clear to a seven-length win in the Philadelphia area track’s $30,000 featured optional allowance claimer on Tuesday, June 25.
Dr. Skip, an impressive maiden winner at the Radnor Hunt Races on May 18 in Malvern, Pa., marked himself as a horse to watch in this year’s competition for the novice championship with a second noteworthy performance. Jody Petty again was in the saddle for trainer Edward Graham.
Allowed to settle early in midpack, the five-year-old Maryland-bred Eddington gelding launched his bid at pacesetter Pleasant Woodman on Parx’s turn for home and quickly gained a clear advantage. Owner-trainer Michael Moran’s Staying On, who had attended the early pace, held on for second under Bernie Dalton. William Riddle Jr.’s Absolum, second in Radnor’s Thompson Memorial allowance hurdle, finished third, three-quarters of a length farther back under Paddy Young. Gil Johnston’s Fantastic Song finished fourth in a full field of 12.
Sent off at 7.80-1, Dr. Skip ran the 2 1/6-mile distance in 3:40.08 on firm turf. The race’s 2.60-1 favorite, The Price of Love, unseated jockey Darren Nagle at the fifth fence.
In two other steeplechase races on the Parx card, both $20,000 maiden hurdles, owner-trainer Leslie Young’s Mr. Universo won by two lengths under Paddy Young, and Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Network News won by 4 1/2 lengths at 12.30-1 for trainer Tom Voss and jockey Gus Dahl.