Delaware Park horses to watch: June 9, 2018

by | Jun 9, 2018 | Breaking, DE Racing, Delaware, Racing

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

by Frank Vespe

Delaware Park has a nine-race Saturday card, and post time is 1:15 p.m. The finale is an Arabian race, and the card includes a couple of allowance contests.

Race 4 – Allowance/optional claiming

  • Fillies and mares three and up that have never won one-other-than face off going 6 furlongs on the main track, with an optional claiming tag of $16,000
  • One horse, #1 Burn Control, is in for the tag.
  • #3 Swimsuit Issue (3-1) gets back on the main track after four largely inconsequential tries on the grass. The Tom Proctor trainee, a $300,000 auction purchase, won at first asking in March 2017 at the Fair Grounds and then was third in a Keeneland allowance before switching over to the grass. The Proctor barn is off to a bit of a slow start at Delaware — 0-for-6 — but has been second three times and figures to snap out of it soon. Ashley Castrenze will ride.
  • #5 Candycoated Dame (8-5) is the morning line favorite for trainer Claudio Gonzalez, who’s won with two of three starters at the meet. But she doesn’t like to win much — only three wins in 26 career starts — and has been second at this level in Maryland four times in a row. Jomar Torres has the mount.
  • Selections: 3-5-6

Race 8 – Allowance/optional claiming

  • Three-year-olds and up will go six furlongs on the main track in a first-level allowance with an optional claiming tag of $16,000.
  • Three-year-old #2 Whereshetoldmetogo (8-5) had good luck at Delaware Park last year, winning two times, including in the First State Dash, from three starts. He’s spent most of this year in stakes company, his best outcomes a win in a state-bred stake at Gulfstream Park and a runner-up effort in the Smooth Air, also at Gulfstream. A turf outing last time out didn’t go well, but back on the dirt and at a track he’s liked, the Anthony Pecoraro trainee, a Maryland-bred son of the late El Padrino, has the right to improve. Jeremy Rose will ride.
  • Two races back, #3 Flash Attack (2-1) nearly blew up the toteboard at Keeneland, just missing in an allowance race at odds of 38-1. The Mike Stidham trainee perhaps disappointed last out, running third at 8-5 in an allowance at Pimlico on Preakness day, but he may not have relished the sloppy going. A return to his Keeneland form could make him tough in here. Keiber Coa will ride.
  • Selections: 3-2-5

ARABIAN WATCH

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

The final race of the day is an Arabian maiden race for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up going 5 1/2 furlongs. Of the six starters, four are first-time starters. The other two, Foxy Roxy and Omega CS, finished third and fourth respectively in their last start. Foxy Roxy should improve off that race and will likely figure in the top three. Of the debuting runners, any of them could step up in their first race. Crimson Mary comes from the powerful owner/trainer combination of Joe and Betty Gilis and
Jerenesto Torrez. She also gets leading rider Carol Cedeno aboard. Cre Run Enterprises and Lynn Ashby have combined for two wins and one second so far and have A Real Diva in this one.