Delaware Park horses to watch: September 13

by | Sep 13, 2017 | Breaking, DE Racing, Delaware, Racing

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

by Frank Vespe

Delaware Park has an nine-race Wednesday card with the finale for Arabians. Post time is 1:15 p.m. Some horses to watch:

  • In the first, a bottom level maiden claimer going 1 1/16 miles on the main track, the solid morning line favorite is Kenlake Resort (7-5), a homebred for trainer Larry Jones who’s dropping in class and moving turf to dirt. But the horse of interest here is Short Memories (4-1), who made our weekly Notebook for her last, a fourth-place finish against similar. She was shuffled back early in that contest and “then had to wait for racing room during crucial stages of stretch drive,” wrote Doug McCoy. This will be her first try around two turns and third in the Keith Nations barn. Jomar Torres will ride.
  • The fourth is another maiden claimer, this one for two-year-olds going one mile on the main track. Ninetyeightoctane (5-2), dropping from maiden special weight company for trainer Anthony Pecoraro, is the morning line favorite; but another Notebook horse is our horse of interest. Albertos Al Quinto (part of entry, 4-1) drops a step from $40,000 maiden claimers to today’s $20,000 claimers after a third-place finish at that higher level. McCoy wrote that the Factum gelding “was hung wide throughout last and deserves another chance.” Torres is also named on this runner.
  • The seventh is a maiden special weight test for two-year-olds going six furlongs on the main track. The race has attracted 15 entrants, including three also-eligible runners, and the morning line favorite — at 4-1 — is Irish Kisses who was second on debut for trainer Tom Proctor. But the horse we’re watching will need a scratch to draw in from the AE; it’s the Graham Motion trainee Desert Isle (8-1). The daughter of Bernardini has been training forwardly for her career debut here, including a bullet five-furlong move September 1 at Fair Hill. She’s out of the graded stakes-winning Smart Strike mare Eye of the Sphynx, who in turn has been an exceptionally productive broodmare. Her offspring include multiple graded winner Deceptive Vision and stakes winners Eye of the Leopard and Hotep. All five of her offspring to run are winners, and four of them earned at least $280,000. Feargal Lynch will ride.
  • The eighth is a second-level allowance going a mile 70 yards on the turf, and while others have better figs, why not give a look to Lift Up (6-1), probably at a bit of a price. The Michael Dickinson trainee has won both her starts since shifted onto the turf. Last out she earned a “very sharp” comment after finishing up the last five-sixteenths of a mile in 28.02 seconds. The Ghostzapper filly will have Alex Cintron up, as she has for every race in her career.

ARABIAN WATCH

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

Today’s Arabian race is a 6-furlong maiden special weight. Bellfastt came within a whisker of winning his last race. He seems poised to make this race a winning one. Big Cork, making his third start, also seems to be on the verge of winning. Uptown Flying Flynn has the winning connections of the impressive Uptown Sandys Girl and is making his second start having finished third in his debut. First time starter Prince William AA is a full brother to champions Dream Pearl and Jewel AA as well as stakes winner Ruby AA. If any horse is going to win his first start you think it would be this one.