Spun to Run, Pure Sensation Earn Graded Wins at Parx

Pure Sensation has won seven graded stakes at Parx Racing.

Meet Pure Sensation, the turf monster at Parx Racing.

An over-matched field of 10 turf sprinters probably would have been just fine without an introduction Sept. 2, as Patricia Generazio homebred Pure Sensation rolled to an easy victory in the $300,000 Turf Monster Stakes (G3T) at Parx.

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With the three-length score, veteran turf sprinter Pure Sensation secured a seventh graded stakes win at Parx. He won the Parx Dash there in the spring for the third time before winning the Turf Monster a fourth time since 2015 Monday. The Florida-bred 7-year-old son of Zensational—Pure Disco, by Disco Rico, completed Monday’s five-furlong test in :57.80.

In the turn Pure Sensation, under Paco Lopez, put away a challenge from longshot Hollywood Talent then quickly opened an insurmountable advantage in early stretch. Never threatening the winner, Dubini closed for second with Hollywood Talent holding third.

Pewter Stable’s Dubini earned a graded stakes placing for the first time, and 8-year-old Hollywood Talent, who is campaigned by Ten Strike Racing, earned a graded-stakes placing for the first time since his juvenile season when he finished second in the Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) and third in the Sanford Stakes (G2) on dirt.

Trained by Christophe Clement, Pure Sensation earned the 11th stakes win of his career and improved his earnings to $1,968,550 as he closed in on the $2 million mark.

Pure Sensation returned $3.20, 2.80, and $2.60 across the board while Dubini paid $8.20 and $6 to place and show. Hollywood Talent, sent off at 44-1, paid $17.20 to show.

Spun to Run Seals the Deal in Smarty Jones
One race later on the Parx card, Robert Donaldson’s Spun to Run just edged Gray Magician after a stretch-long duel to secure the first graded stakes win of his career in the $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes (G3). Paco Lopez was aboard as he swept the days graded stakes.

Trained by Juan Guerrero, lightly raced Spun to Run was making his first start since finishing third in the TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) July 20 at Monmouth Park. The Haskell marked the stakes debut for the 3-year-old son of Hard Spun , who scored his maiden win in January at Parx and followed with an allowance level victory there in March.

Early in Monday’s race, Bethlehem Road enjoyed a clear advantage through a half-mile in :47.35 with Spun to Run rated in third, Top Line Growth in second, and Gray Magician further back in fifth. Bethlehem Road would yield after six furlongs in 1:11.99 and coming out of the far turn Gray Magician circled outside of Top Line Growth inside and Spun to Run between them.

Gray Magician, under Corey Lanerie, would seize the lead in early stretch but Spun to Run would regroup and battle back. Those two would duel to the wire with Spun to Run prevailing by a head. Top Line Growth would hold third, 4 1/2 lengths behind the top two.

Spun to Run paid $5, $2.60, and $2.10 across the board and second-choice Gray Magician returned $2.80 and $2.20. Top Line Growth paid $2.60 to show. He holds a 3-1-3 record from eight starts with $360,520 in earnings.

Donaldson purchased Spun to Run for $64,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale from the De Meric Sales consignment. Bred in Kentucky by Sabana Farm, Spun to Run is out of stakes-winning Grand Slam mare Yawkey Way, who also has produced stakes winner Tap It All (Tapizar).

Yawkey Way has a yearling filly by Frosted consigned as Hip 1047 by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, entered in this year’s renewal of the Keeneland Sepetember Yearling Sale. She foaled a Practical Joke colt March 21.