Delaware Park horses to watch: September 11

by | Sep 11, 2017 | Breaking, DE Racing, Delaware, Racing

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

by Frank Vespe

Delaware Park has an eight-race card teed up for Monday, September 11. Post time is 1:15 p.m. Some horses to watch:

  • The fifth race, a nickel claimer, sees one of our notebook horses to watch, Southernperfection (2-1), run back after more than a month away. Trained by Joe Arboritanza, the sophomore Majestic Perfection filly has won three of 12 career starts and last out throttled never-won-three rivals by almost five lengths under a mild drive. “Looks like she could handle a jump in class,” Doug McCoy opined at the time. She’s the morning line favorite here and will have meet-leading rider Carol Cedeno in the irons.
  • The sixth race is a $36,000 allowance test for fillies and mares three and up going five furlongs on the turf. It’s attracted a pretty wide open field, with Zensational Merry (3-1) the logical, if tepid, morning line favorite. She has three wins at the trip and is a half to stakes winner Merry’s Honor. But a runner we’re more intrigued by is Animauxselle (5-1). The Mike Dini trainee shortens up for the first time after five prior turf tries, all at least 7 1/2 furlongs, the last three of which she was backing up late. Dini liked her enough to try her in the Boiling Springs Stakes at MTH one race after she broke her maiden; she finished sixth. The shorter distance could prove to her liking; while her sire, Leroidesanimaux, was a miler, her dam, Ashley and I, by You and I, was a straight sprinter who won 15 times in her career. Orlando Bocachica is up.
  • The day’s feature is the seventh, a $40,000 open allowance going 1 mile 70 yards on the main track. The Kelly Rubley-trained entry of Bishop’s Pond and Northern Smile is the 9-5 morning line favorite. But the horse we’re watching is Love Came to Town (5-2). The Kevin Sleeter trainee won the 2016 Nellie More Stakes at Laurel Park and has earned over $380,000 in her career. Last out she returned from a three-month break to run a game second in the six furlong Eleven North Handicap at Monmouth Park, and while that was against fellow Jersey-breds, it’s notable that she’s a two-turn horse, not a sprinter. That day she chased speedy Bustin Out to no avail but was clear of her other rivals. That was a useful return to action, and a step forward here is a distinct possibility. Eddie Rivera will ride.

ARABIAN WATCH

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

No Arabian race on Monday.