Delaware Park horses to watch: September 7

by | Sep 7, 2017 | Breaking, DE Racing, Delaware, Racing

Off at Delaware Park. Photo © www.HoofprintsInc.com.

by Frank Vespe

There’s a nine-race card at Delaware Park Wednesday afternoon, with the nightcap for Arabians. Post time is 1:15 p.m. Some horses to watch:

  • The fourth is a $15,000 maiden claimer for two-year-olds going 5 1/2 furlongs on the main track. The favorite is likely to be the Jamie Ness-trained duo of Witchy’s Laststand and Brahms Romp (7-5), both of whom are dropping out of credible efforts against better company, and it might be advisable to eat the chalk on this one. But what fun is that? Give a look at Double Derby Perks (3-1) from the Hernan Parra barn. The With Distinction colt’s two starts have both come against versus roughly similar, and both were decent. But what’s more intriguing is that he’s run entirely different styles in them: rallying from sixth to second on debut, and then leading most of the way before fading last out. Third time’s the charm? Diego Gomez will ride.
  • The eighth is a complicated starter allowance condition limited to horses that have never won three races or never won an allowance or stake. A number of these have shown they’ll fit here, including favored Fillupcohensapiker (8-5), an Andrew Simoff trainee who ran a big one last out to be second against allowance foes. But we’re more intrigued by Mike Gorham trainee Angel At War (3-1). Gorham’s taking a pretty big swing here, having claimed this runner for $40,000 out of her last, but it’s one that could pay off. The Shackleford filly has won her first two starts by a combined 16 lengths, most recently crushing never-won-two rivals by five in a sharp 1:10.20 for six furlongs, which is this race’s distance. Gorham is 11 percent first off the claim, but at this meet, all three of his first-claim runners have finished in the exacta. Daniel Centeno will ride.

ARABIAN WATCH

Arabian handicapping is provided by our friends at Arabian Finish Line.

The Arabian race today is a claiming race for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs. The morning line favorite is the filly Burning Charm who gets leading rider Carol Cedeno. RB Hocus Pocus has three wins and two thirds from nine starts this year and should be competitive in this field. Candy Land Man and Risky Red both raced at Monmouth on Monday and are getting a quick turnaround. This, however, is nothing new for Risky Red. She has raced 15 times this year and finished in the top 3 nine times – but only one win. RB Hocus Pocus was recently claimed by Lynn Bennett and transferred to the barn of Simon Hobson. He has shown talent but hasn’t been consistent this year.