Who’re we watching? Let’s see what’s on tap in the mid-Atlantic this weekend:
[su_list icon=”icon: clock-o”]Saturday, 4: 15 p.m., Delaware Park’s G3 Kent S. 1 1/8 miles on turf, 3yo, $200,000 purse. Not bad — someone might get their first stakes win in G3 company.
- 1. #6 My Team (8-1 morning line) — Graham Motion trainee took a big step forward first on the grass to break his maiden. Challenging step here, but, with hot jock Trevor McCarthy aboard, this one might be able to wire this group.
- 2. #5 Syntax (3-1) — Improving sort with tactical abilities beat Belmont allowance foes last out after an OK fourth in the Jimmy Murphy. Murphy place horse Force the Pass turned around to take Penn Mile, G1 Belmont Derby.
- 2. #2 Chief Kitten (2-1) — The figs say no, but this guy’s a stake winner in a field void of those, and trainer Chad Brown wins and wins and wins on the lawn.
- 3. #8 All I Karabout (4-1) — The other Motion picks up Prado; third-place finisher from the Murphy finished second to #5 last out, looks to be rolling late.
Saturday, 4:45 p.m., Delaware Park’s Hockessin S. 6 furlongs on the dirt for 4yo and up, $50,000 purse. Want to see two Breeders’ Cup Sprint runners in a $50,000 stake? Here’s the place.
- 1. #2 Service for Ten (8-1) — Fishing? Maybe so, but Service Stripe gelding’s never been out of the money in 10 tries at the distance and might get the trip he wants.
- 2. #9 Fast Anna (2-1) — Ultra speedster led the BC Sprint a long way — through fractions of 21.19 and 43.34 — before finishing fifth by two-and-change. Not sure what to do with narrow turf win at 1-9 last out, and it’s clear connex have bigger fish to fry than this one.
- 3. #7 Stallwalkin’ Dude (8-5) — Formful five-year-old has been in the money seven straight, looks to use stalk-and-pounce style to best advantage.
- 4. #6 Bourbon Courage (4-1) — Son of Lion Heart rallied for fourth in BC Sprint but has failed twice as fave in ’15; switches to Graham Motion barn and hopes for a wakeup call.
Saturday, 5:43 p.m., Monmouth Park’s Lamplighter S. 1 1/16 miles on the turf, 3yo, $60,000 purse. Wide open affair? Sure looks that way.
- 1. #5 Black Martino (5-1) — GP shipper was flying late, just missed last out against similar. Gets Abel Castellano up and hopes to get there this time.
- 2. #6 Weekend Express (7-2) — Trainer Tim Hills has been laboring at the meet but does well in minor stakes; runner might get the jump on #5.
- 3. #3 West Village (5-2) — Chalk showed little in the Plate Trial on the synthetic but won his only grass try nicely against maidens; rider Paco Lopez, trainer Wayne Catalano are both win machines over the local strip.
- 4. #7 Dontbetwithbruno (5-1) — Todd Pletcher – 30 percent at the meet – sends this solid son of Tiz Wonderful to make his grass debut.
Saturday, 5:45 p.m., Delaware Park’s G1 Delaware Handicap 1 1/4 miles on the dirt, fillies and mares 3yo and up, $750,000 purse. Five graded stakes winners tangle in the highlight of Delaware’s meet.
- 1. #1 Frivolous (3-1) — Daughter of Empire Maker looks to be the main speed, and you figure Jon Court will hustle from the gate. She’s beaten — and lost to — several of these, but circumstances might be favorable here..
- 2. #6 Rosalind (6-1) — Chad Brown trainee gave a credible accounting of herself last out in the G1 Phipps, which was a rugged group. Skipped grassy G3 Robert Dick, where she was 5-2, for this spot and gets Joel Rosario in the irons — but 5-0-0-3 ledger on dirt is a caution flag.
- 3. #5 Sheer Drama (2-1) — David Fawkes trainee has been in the exacta five straight, four against graded company, and owns a G2 win. No reason she can’t be there on the wire once again with regular pilot Joe Bravo in the irons.
- 4. #7 Joint Return (8-1) — Tough spot, but the John Servis trainee’s never been worse than second at Delaware and ran a monster race in lone try at 10 panels — second less than a length to Stopchargingmaria in the G1 Alabama last summer at Saratoga.
Saturday, 6:15 p.m., Delaware Park’s Carl Hanford Memorial S. 1 miles 70 yards, 3yo and up, $50,000 purse. If everybody posts, this is some kinda rough group — but several are cross-entered.
- 1. #4 Page McKenney (6-1) — This is a solid group, but if this guy — second among older horses in the Top Midlantic-bred Poll — posts, and you get 6-1 on him, you get y’self to the windows and wager.
- 2. #4 Adirondack King (8-1) — Son of Lawyer Ron runs lots of good races without winning many but has been first or second in five straight on the dirt between eight and nine furlongs.
- 3. #8 Normandy Invasion (3-1) — Return after a year in an N2X wasn’t bad — but this guy, who was fourth in the ’13 Kentucky Derby, was 3-10. The water gets deeper here.
- 4. #1 Turco Bravo (9-2) — Contessa trainee has backed up twice at longer distances against graded foes; the return to a bit lighter company and a middle distance could suit him just fine.
Sunday, 5:12 p.m., Monmouth Park’s Miss Woodford S. 6 furlongs, 3yo fillies, $60,000 purse. Will a star be born?
- 1. #2 Lucky Gold (4-1) — Lightly raced sort has speed and tractabililty; never worse than second in three career starts.
- 2. #3 Coco’s Wildcat (10-1) — They’ve asked a lot of this Wildcat Heir filly, and she’s run some good races, including third in the G3 Miss Preakness. In the money eight of 10 on the main track and gets Paco Lopez in the irons.
- 3. #8 Spark (5-1) — Hot apprentice Eric Cancel is in to ride a horse who was a good third, at long odds, in the Jersey Girl last month. Jerkens trainee will likely be on or very near the lead early.
- 4. #7 Fusaichi Red (6-1) — George Weaver trainee woke up nicely last out to break her maiden, has the ability to pass horses, which many here do not.
- Also of note… Get the Sensation, third among sophomores in the Top Midlantic-bred Poll, is 12-1 here. She enters having blitzed WV-bred by open lengths four straight times and will get a big test in here for trainer Crystal Pickett.
