Greenwood Cup
$150.00 For Three Year Olds And Upward
1 1/2 Miles – Dirt
Parx – September 19, 2026

The marathon mile and a half Greenwood Cup has drawn a full field to its nineteenth running this Saturday at Parx. The forecast for the day is for a fast track, and eight trainers have brought forth ten runners to vie for the $150.00 purse. Last year’s winner, El Gran Cambio, is in the field and seeking a repeat which has never been accomplished in this race.

1. Yansa (Invicta Group/A. Wolfsont) Six year old has been a model of consistency in all nine of his races this year finishing top three in seven of them and picking up a check in the other two. He made his first stakes start in his last race and finished fourth in The Birdstone at Saratoga. That race was at a mile and a half and he was closing at the end so distance is not going to be a problem. 

2. El Gran Cambio (Bears Stable/J.R. Velasquez) He is a multiple graded stakes winner and one of those wins was in last year’s Greenwood Cup which was a G3 at the time. He has not won a stakes race since but comes into this year’s race after a near miss half length loss when running third in his last race, the G3 Monmouth Cup. He earned a 101 SRF speed figure in that race which was the highest of his career so he might be rounding into form to notch the repeat.

3. Mango Or Mint (The Sidley Stud/S.X. Bridgmohan) Is seeking his first stakes win after fourteen previous attempts and several near misses. Four-year-old colt is also looking for his first win of the season having started five times with his best finish being his second-place finish in the Dowd Mile in April. Needs to show improvement.

4. Magazine Cover (Rock Creek/A. Salgado) He was claimed for $24.00 in February and has made three starts for his new barn since the claim. One of those races was his first graded stakes start in the G3 The Hanshin at Churchill Downs. He finished sixth in that race but did post a 100 SRF speed figure which was the best of his career. 

5. Littiputian (Mojica Racing/P. Lopez) Made his stakes debut in his last race which was a solid second place finish in The Birdstone at Saratoga. That race was at a mile and a half and bodes well that he might be able to be competitive at the same distance again. 

6. Finding Nemo (Night Rider Stables/M.J. Sanchez) Claimed for $14.00 in January and showed a lot of promise in his first two starts for his new connections. He won at first asking in an allowance race and then missed winning the FON Stakes by a neck in his next start. Since then he has two sixth place finishes on his record in the G3 Dominion Day Stakes and the Jones Stakes. Will have to find his better form to make his presence felt. 

7. Fried Chicken (Angelos Stable/F. Pennington) Is the most accomplished runner in the field having won multiple graded stakes including the G1 Whitney last summer. He boasts earnings of over $1,000.00 and several close finishes in graded company this year as well. His last race was a confidence building win in an allowance race which he seeks to parlay into his first stakes win of the year. 

8. Copper State (Angelos Stable/N. Arroyo Jr.) Has shown great consistency in his career finishing on the board thirteen times in his seventeen races. That led to him venturing into stakes company for the first time in his last race and he did not disgrace, missing the win by a long neck in the Whisman Memorial Stakes. That bodes well for his chances today but it is the first time he will be asked to run this far but there is nothing in his past to suggest it will be a stumbling block for him. 

9. Prince Machiavelli (Wood Racing Stable/R.M. Hernandez) Finished right with Mango Or Mint in the Dowd Mile and the added half mile appears to be something he will relish having won his last race at this distance by five open lengths. Yes, that was an allowance race and not stakes company but a five length win is impressive nonetheless. Could be a dark horse to gain his first stakes win. 

10. Freaky Obra Party (The Sidley Stud/A.A. Gallardo) Yet another runner here looking to gain his first stakes win. He has been the bridesmaid in stakes company a few times and he can contend on his best form but he is also seeking his first win of any kind this season.

The obvious choice based on back class would be Fried Chicken but I am going to make Copper State the pick today. Likes to compete and ran well in his first stakes race last out. Prince Machiavelli is the choice for second with Fried Chicken and El Gran Cambio third and fourth. 

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded