Tip Top Thomas burst onto the scene as a 2-year-old, earning a 'TDN Rising Star' badge at Saratoga in late August last season before running a game second to Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) in the GI Champagne Stakes to cap his 2024 campaign. Shelved for most of the winter and spring, the son of Volatile return to the races at Keeneland with a fourth facing allowance horses in April before getting back in the winner's circle in his last two starts including a gate to wire track record-setting win in the GIII Indiana Derby last out going this distance at Horseshoe Indianapolis July 5.
The clear speed of this field and the popular wagering choice at 2-5, Tip Top Thomas set out to the early lead and stayed narrowly ahead of Fact who gave chase from second. Those two went one-two around the track with the favorite looking to put things away into the far turn and open up. And while it looked briefly as though Tip Top Thomas may run away with the race as he turned for home clearly in command, Fact made a race of it late, closing determinedly under Luis Saez to just miss by a head. Fellow 'Rising Star' Hypnus made up ground late to get into third.
One of three stakes winners for Volatile, Tip Top Thomas is out of the Consolidator mare Attempt to Name who was culled for just $10,000 at KEEJAN back in 2015 and has since produced fellow Smarty Jones Stakes winner Gray Attempt (Graydar) and GSP Dua (Arrogate) who brought $900,000 from Summer Wind at KEENOV last fall. The dam of seven winners from 10 to race, Attempt to Name has a 2-year-old Runhappy filly named Ames who has placed in two starts this year as well as a yearling Classic Empire filly who is her last reported foal.
#3 TIP TOP THOMAS ($2.80) goes gate-to-wire just holding off #2 Fact late to win the $200,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx. The son of Volatile (@Three_Chimneys) was ridden by @ljlmvel and is trained by Todd Pletcher.
Watch more on @FanDuelTV. pic.twitter.com/ZaTbwjuWjE
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 19, 2025
SMARTY JONES S., $200,000, Parx Racing, 8-19, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.50, ft.
1–TIP TOP THOMAS, 124, c, 3, by Volatile
1st Dam: Attempt to Name, by Consolidator
2nd Dam: Capacity, by Capote
3rd Dam: Rare Opportunity, by Danzig Connection
'TDN Rising Star'. ($160,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT). O-James J. Bakke
and Gerald Isbister; B-Wynnstay Inc., Donna Moore & Jim
Richardson (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez.
$117,600. Lifetime Record: GSW/GISP, 6-4-1-0, $503,100.
*1/2 to Dua (Arrogate), MGSP, $104,022 and Gray Attempt
(Graydar), MSW, $517,099.
2–Fact, 121, g, 3, Instagrand–Bazinga Baby, by Afleet Alex.
($125,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Grandview
Equine, OXO Equine LLC and LNJ Foxwoods; B-Town & Country
Farms, LLC (KY); T-William Walden. $39,200.
3–Hypnus, 124, c, 3, Into Mischief–Dream Tree, by Uncle Mo.
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Wathnan Racing;
B-Phoenix Thoroughbreds (III) LTD (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek.
$19,600.
Margins: HD, 9 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 0.40, 2.60, 5.70.
Also Ran: Happily Delusional, Analog Jones, Light Forever. Scratched: Instant Replay. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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