His stablemate Mi Bago was bet down to less than even money and enjoying a clear lead through reasonable fractions, but D. J. Stable's Dream On had the superior turn of foot when it mattered most and posted a mild upset of the $400,000 Penn Mile Stakes (G3T) June 27 at Penn National Race Course.
Twice rescheduled because of weather, the Penn Mile finally ran Friday night in a light rain over a yielding turf course, its field of eight scratched down to five.
Trainer Mark Casse, who had won the Penn Mile two times previously, had the top two choices in the betting this year. Gary Barber's Mi Bago took the lead shortly after the start of the one-mile race for 3-year-olds and set fractions of :23.97, :48.30, and 1:12.11.
Dream On and jockey Javier Castellano were still last after a half-mile, but the Not This Time colt got moving on the far turn. He split Mi Bago and pace presser Out On Bail with about a furlong to go and drew clear to post a length victory.
Cairo Caper rallied to finish second, a head in front of last year's Skidmore Stakes winner Out On Bail, who was routing for the first time. The final time was 1:35.62. Dream On paid $6 to win.
D. J. Stable purchased Dream On for $380,000 at the 2024 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where he was consigned by De Meric Sales.
This was the first graded win for Dream On, who finished third in the Summer Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine and fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Del Mar last year. He entered the Penn Mile off a neck victory in the Woodhaven Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. Dream On was bred in Kentucky by Aaron and Marie Jones.
Video: Penn Mile S. (G3T)
Laurelin Stays Perfect in Penn Oaks
One race before the Penn Mile, Newstead Stables' Laurelin remained undefeated in four career starts with a 1 1/4-length victory in the $150,000 Penn Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.
Sitting fourth under jockey Jose Ruiz early in the field of five—scratched down from an original nine—the Irish-bred Zarak filly moved three wide on the far turn and gradually overtook runner-up Candy Quest in the lane. It was another three lengths back to Reining Flowers in third place.
Final time for a mile on the yielding turf was 1:35.54. Laurelin paid $3.20 to win.
Graham Motion trained the winner, who added the Penn Oaks to a black-type résumé that already included the 2024 Tepin Stakes and this year's Memories of Silver Stakes, both at Aqueduct.
Laurelin was purchased by Form Bloodstock at the 2023 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale for $169,488.
