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Coffee Clique perks up in Dr. James Penny Memorial

Grade 1 heroine Coffee Clique outclassed her eight rivals in Philadelphia (Barb Weidl/Equi-Photo) Coffee Clique (Medaglia d'Oro) ended a three-race losing skid in fine style Saturday when taking the $200,000 Dr. James Penny Memorial H. (G3) at Parx Racing under Manny Franco. Kept wide but no more than 2 1/2 lengths from longshot pacesetter Sassy Little Cat (Albert the Great), who carved out fractions of :23 3/5, :48 2/5 and 1:12 3/5, Coffee Clique moved into contention around the far turn, joining 29-1 chance Pink Poppy (Tiznow). Edging clear of that one passing the eighth pole, the five-year-old mare drew off to win by 1 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:42 3/5 for 1 1/16 miles on a firm turf. A homebred owned by Amerman Racing, and trained by Brian Lynch, Coffee Clique returned $3.40 as the 7-10 favorite.

Testa Rossi (Dr Fong), the second choice in a field of nine fillies and mares, rallied to edge Pink Poppy for second by a neck. Finishing behind Pink Poppy were Nellie Cashman (Mineshaft), Means Well (Smart Strike), Baffle Me (First Samurai), Giant Shadow (Giant's Causeway), Distorted Beauty (Invasor), and Sassy Little Cat. Photo Call (Galileo) was scratched after competing in Friday's $100,000 Perfect Sting at Belmont Park.

This was the fourth graded stakes win for Coffee Clique, who captured the 2013 Selene (Can-G3) at Woodbine as a three-year-old and added last year's Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2) and Just a Game (G1) at Belmont Park.

Out of action more than nine months following the latter event, she returned March 28 to finish third in the Honey Fox (G2) at Gulfstream, and then was second and sixth, respectively, when defending her titles in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile and Just a Game. Her record now stands at 15-7-2-2, $1,041,488.

Bred in Kentucky, Coffee Clique was reared by Miss Chapin (Royal Academy), who is also the dam of Grade 2-placed Royal Fury (Langfuhr) and the stakes-placed Schoolofhardrocks (Rock Hard Ten).

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