The Dinner Party Stakes (Grade 3)- $250.000 Purse
PIM- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Turf
May 17, 2025

It’s party time at PIM on Saturday, but before we can get to the PRK, invitations were sent out to five horses that will be taking part in the 21st running of the Dinner Party Stakes, a Grade 3 on the turf at a mile and an eighth. The race was a Grade 2 from inception until 2023, when it was dropped to a Grade 3. The $250.000 purse is half of what it was last year, which will likely go down as a “one off” offering. $250.000 has been a common amount through its history, though it has gone up and down at times from that. Taking advantage of the large purse last year was Calling All Angels, for D J C Racing Stables. He was unable to get another big win after that and was retired sometime after running in late March. So, while he won’t back, the winner from 2023 will be. We’ll include him as we take our look at the field!

1- Outcrosss (Threshold, ridden by F Pennington)- After winning three of his last four, Outcrosss is going to be rejoining the type of company that he was running against in 2022 and 2023, when he was seen in races like the Sword Dancer and the Shoemaker Mile although he never won a stake during that time. His recent hot streak has mostly come courtesy of BTP, but he did win a starter allowance at PRX last time out. It’s a small field here, so getting a piece of the purse cannot be ruled out. However, I’d venture to assume that Grand Opening and Ello Santa would have won those BTP races, too.

2- Ello Santa (Mb Stables, ridden by M Franco)- Finished sixth in points for the KYD, thanks in large part to winning the Grade 3 Ruby Stakes at TP in late March. In another stable, he would have run in that race, but Mb Stables was restricted to three horses. He had options for Ello Santa, and the PRK may have been one of them, but instead he’ll be entered here into the Dinner Party Stakes. Now, it can be easy to forget that Ello Santa not only has proven himself on the turf, but he is, after all, the reigning winner of the BC Juvenile Turf. This is his first time back on grass, and he’ll make himself right at home.

3- Whipped (The Sidley Stud, ridden by P Lopez)- Picked up by the trainer in the Smokey Stover stable dispersal after a fifteen-race career that was, with one exception, all run in overnights. He proved himself well in mid to high level turf sprints, and in his three-race stint with The Sidley Stud, Whipped has been running at the stake level. In March, he won the $165.000 Appleton at GP, which was his first time going long in a year and a half. Came on for fifth last time out in the Grade 3 American Stakes on his way here.

4- Grand Opening (Riggins Racing, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Two years ago in the Dinner Party Stakes, Grand Opening made his graded debut and won what would be his sixth race in a row. At the time, Grand Opening did not have the recognition or accolades that he does today, where he is now a winner of just about $6,500.000 for his career. He’s now a multiple Grade 1 winner, including the Forester Turf Classic and AP Million last year, races that led into the big one. In November, Grand Opening won the BC Turf, and two starts ago, he won the Pegasus World Cup Turf. He may not be riding a five-race winning streak this time, but he’s coming into this far more accomplished than he did two years ago. Hard not to pick him.

5- Tom Kha Gai (High Voltage, ridden by D E Centeno)- Last time out, this five-year-old gelding picked up a win in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at SA, while coming from the outside. That would earn him a 101 SRF, matching his prior career high. This is a horse that I like, but he’ll have to run a career best to take down the one starting right beside him here. Can he? He’s working very well coming into this race and had what looks to be a career best mile work at SA recently. Tom Kha Gai may very run that career best here, he’s an interesting option in this field, and if those odds climb like they did last time, take a shot.

Prediction: 4-2-5-3

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES