Midlantic stakes recap
It Tiz Well prevailed in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks. Photo by Jesse Caris.
GRADE 3, $300,000 DELAWARE OAKS
- 1 1/16 miles, 3yo fillies
- WINNER: It Tiz Well
- Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer for Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC
HOW IT HAPPENED
Under jockey Drayden Van Dyke, favored It Tiz Well stalked the early pace of Proud and Fearless before wearing that rival down to win by a half-length in 1:43.55. Late-running Actress was third. The winner paid $3.60 to win and topped a $1 exacta worth $7.10.
NOTABLE
- Second Delaware Oaks win for trainer Hollendorfer
- Second graded stakes win for It Tiz Well
- For more…
Guilty Twelve (#6, in between) was up in time in the Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes. Photo by Jesse Caris.
GRADE 3, $200,000 ROBERT G. DICK MEMORIAL STAKES
- 1 3/8 miles (turf), fillies and mares 3yo and up
- WINNER: Guilty Twelve
- Trained by Graham Motion for Merry Fox Stables
HOW IT HAPPENED
Under jockey Chris DeCarlo, Guilty Twelve rallied from the rear of the field to run down favored Zipessa by a nose on the wire. It was another head back to late-running Gone Away in third. The winner paid a generous $22.40 and topped a $1 exacta worth $43.30.
NOTABLE
- Eight win in the Dick Memorial for trainer Graham Motion.
- Fourth win in seven North American starts for Guilty Twelve, first in stakes company
- For more…
Pure Sensation won for the second straight time in the G3 Parx Dash. Photo by Taylor Ejdys/EQUI-PHOTO.
GRADE 3, $200,000 PARX DASH
- 5 furlongs (turf), 3-year-olds and up
- WINNER: Pure Sensation
- Trained by Christophe Clement for Patricia Generazio
HOW IT HAPPENED
Favored Pure Sensation simply laid waste to a solid field of older sprinters, romping to a 5 3/4 length victory in 57.24 seconds. With Kendrick Carmouche up, the six-year-old Zensational gelding stalked the early pace of Bold Thunder before overpowering that rival and drawing away. Mongolian Saturday was along for second, and Bold Thunder was third. The winner returned $4.20, with the $2 exacta worth $31.
NOTABLE
- Second consecutive win in this event for Pure Sensation.
- Largest Parx Dash margin of victory in its seven runnings.
- Winner’s share pushed Pure Sensation past the $1 million mark in career earnings.
$100,000 LONG BRANCH STAKES
- Monmouth Park
- 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds
- WINNER: Phat Man
- Trained by Joe Sharp for Brad Grady
HOW IT HAPPENED
Phat Man rallied along the outside to be up in time over favored Talk Logistics by a head, with Command Post another couple of lengths in arrears. Under jockey Wilmer Garcia, Phat Man had a three- and four-wide trip and closed fastest of all for the win, returning $14.20 in the process. The $2 exacta was good for $31.20.
NOTABLE
- First stakes win for Phat Man and first win outside of claiming or starter allowance company.
- Phat Man was supplemented into the race for $2,000.
- Garcia: “When we got in the clear in the lane, he really started to move.”
$50,000 DASHING BEAUTY STAKES
- Delaware Park
- 6 furlongs, fillies and mares 3yo and up
- WINNER: My Magician
- Trained by Claudio Gonzalez for Euro Stable
- Bred in Maryland by Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman & Brooke C.Bowman & R. Larry Johnson
HOW IT HAPPENED
Longshot My Magician rallied from last to score the upset by a nose over stablemate Sweet On Smokey, the post time favorite. Under jockey Jomar Torres, My Magician had just one horse beaten with an eighth of a mile to go before launching her winning bid. She returned $29.80 to win and topped an exacta worth $36.50 for one dollar.
NOTABLE
- Second stakes win, but first in three years, for My Magician.
- First race in the Gonzalez barn after $25,000 claim.
- First career stakes win for jockey Torres.
$50,000 CAPE HENLOPEN STAKES
- Delaware Park
- 1 1/2 miles (turf), 3-year-olds and up
- WINNER: Postulation
- Trained by Edward Graham for Runnymede Racing LLC
HOW IT HAPPENED
With Alex Cintron in the irons, Postulation doled out extremely slow early fractions before motoring home late to a six-length win. Postulation led after a half-mile in 51.79 seconds and three-quarters in 1:17.18 — but navigated the last half-mile of the race in a sharp 47.73. The winner returned $24.20, and the exacta, with second choice Street Fashion nosing out Aquaphobia for the place, paid $60.90 for a buck.
NOTABLE
- First North American stakes win for Postulation.
- Second win in four years in this event for trainer Graham, who scored in 2014 with Hardest Core, who went from this race to score an upset in the G1 Arlington Million.
