Gitchee Goomie charges late to take Penny Memorial

Patsy Symons' Gitchee Goomie enjoyed a ground-saving trip to the stretch,

switched outside right before the eighth pole and surged late to capture the

Grade 3, $250,000

Dr. James

Penny Memorial Handicap, the Tuesday feature at Parx Racing. Under Alan

Garcia, the five-year-old mare returned $8.20, $3.20 and $2.40 as the 3-1

co-second choice, and completed 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:41 1/5.

Charging late for second on the outside was 5-2 favorite Hessonite, whom

Gitchee Goomie had beaten last out in the May 27 Mount Vernon at Belmont Park.

Hessonite finished a half-length behind the winner, but had the same margin on

Julie's Love, who had a length on Safe Crossing. The latter held a comfortable

lead through splits of :24 3/5, :48 3/5 and 1:12 before weakening in the

stretch.

The order of finish was completed by Naples Bay, My Redbyrd, Clare Skies

Ahead, and Pinch Pie. Laughing was scratched.

Gitchee Goomie, who is trained by Rick Violette, has been among the leading

New York-bred turf mares in recent seasons, scoring restricted stakes wins in

the Yaddo at Saratoga and two editions of the Mount Vernon. She's fared well in

open company as well, placing in two editions of the Grade 3 Beaugay as well as

the Grade 1 Garden City. She was also second, beaten 2 1/4 lengths, by Daveron

in the 2011 renewal of the Penny Memorial. Her record now stands at 19-7-9-1,

$648,020.

A daughter of City Zip, Gitchee Goomie was produced by the stakes-placed

Brief Ruckus mare Riotous Miss. In the distant past, this female family yielded

champion older mare Pucker Up and steeplechase champion Bushranger.

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