Parx offering a 'Triple Crown Challenge' in September

HE TRIPLE Crown is run at three tracks in May and June. The first "Triple Crown Challenge" is being offered on Sept. 24 at Parx Racing.

Parx racing director Sam Elliott's idea is, if the winners of the three 2016 Triple Crown races all run in the Pennsylvania Derby, the purse will increase from $1 million to $1.5 million. If two run, it would be $1.25 million. The purse increase would be in addition to bonuses already into the race that total $500,000.

"We recognize there is a unique opportunity this year because three different horses won the Triple Crown races, an anomaly lately," Elliott said. "It always seems like one horse won two of them. They haven't had an opportunity to run together since the (Kentucky) Derby. They're not going to run against each other in the Aug. 27 Travers (at Saratoga).

"This is the final major 3-year-old race of the year. We thought it would be good to get them all together. What's the best way to find out who's the best? Let them run against each other."

Nyquist won the Derby, Exaggerator the Preakness and Creator the Belmont Stakes. A $100,000 bonus is attached to each of those races (split evenly between the owner and trainer) if the winner runs in the Pa. Derby. There is also $100,000 for the Haskell winner, which was Exaggerator, and another $100,000 for the Travers winner.

So, at the moment, Exaggerator's connections are looking at $200,000 just to show up, Nyquist's and Creator's $100,000 each. Exaggerator and Creator are both scheduled to run in the Travers. None of the three Triple Crown race winners has yet been committed to the Pa. Derby, but Doug O'Neill, Nyquist's trainer, has expressed serious interest. So, according to Elliott, has Creator's trainer, Steve Asmussen. When Exaggerator's trainer, Keith Desormeaux, got a text from Elliott last week explaining the money situation, he texted back that he did not think they needed to have an actual conversation. He clearly was interested.

Parx had a giant day in 2014 when Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome ran in the Pa. Derby. If all three of the Triple Crown race winners do run in this Pa. Derby and unbeaten 3-year-old filly Songbird takes on local hero Cathryn Sophia, winner of the Kentucky Oaks, in the $1 million Cotillion (both fillies are being pointed for the race), it would be perhaps the most significant day anywhere in the country this year outside the Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup, all at Parx on Street Road in Bensalem.

@DickJerardi