Delaware Park Racing Notebook 2018: Vol. 4
Teresa Z won the Obeah Stakes. Photo by The Racing Biz.
by Doug McCoy
Every week during the Delaware Park racing season, The Racing Biz will publish The Delaware Park Racing Notebook. This page is designed to give helpful information to both horseplayers and horsemen about the racing picture at Delaware Park from the past week.
In the notebook, you’ll find:
- “Horses to watch” section highlighting both horses who have shown promise those who may have had poor “trips” in their last starts.
- “Clocker’s Corner” where track clockers will point out horses who have worked in noteworthy fashion during the past week.
- Track tendencies or biases during the week’s races. While it would be great if every race track was completely fair and even and an equal number of speed horses, stalkers, and closers won each day, observant handicappers know this just isn’t the case. Every track’s tendencies and biases (favored styles) change and vary, often from one racing program to the next due to any number of factors, most notably weather. While these changes are often minor, there are also days where a certain type of horse (like a speed horse) has a decided advantage, and there also days where one portion of the racing strip is a better spot to race over (like the inside) than another.
- Leading trainers and jocks and who’s been hot during the last week.
HORSES TO WATCH
- CHIRPING – Got outrun to a hole and had to steady and alter course to the far outside when a fast-closing third last out June 23. Clean trip makes this one tough to handle next out.
- MALOCCHIO – This $190,000 yearling by Orb, now a two-year-old, was a game second June 20 in his debut in a race that could well turn out to be a key affair. Watch for this John Servis trainee next start.
- TYBALT – Claudio Gonzalez-trained two-year-old ripped through final furlong in 11.82 seconds en route to an impressive win last start June 21 and could have a future.
- PROPER MANNERS – Chased the leaders into the stretch before tiring in same race with Malocchio, and if he moves forward off that debut, should be one to look for next start.
CLOCKERS’ CORNER
- MY BOY LENNY – Posted a sparkling five furlong move of 1:00.00 on 06/19 as he continues to train in sharp fashion for trainer Gerald Bennett after dusting a good optional allowance field of sprinters in 1.09.61.
- DON’T CHARGE IT – Ripped off a quick three furlongs in :35.60 as this Hendry trainee prepares for her first start since March in Tampa.
- NEVERENOUGHKANDI – This Sidney’s Candy two-year-old posted a sharp three furlong move of :35.80 as she gets ready for her career debut.
JOCKEYS AND TRAINERS
Jockey Carol Cedeno continues to roll right along in her quest to repeat as leading rider at Delaware Park. Last week Cedeno booted home six winners from 23 mounts which raised her win total for the meet to 18, seven more than Keiber Coa and Angel Suarez.
Both Coa and Suarez had good weeks with Coa accounting for three wins while Suarez had two victories. Apprentice Johan Rosado, Mario Pino, Alex Cintron and Brian Pedroza also won two races last week.
In our alternative rankings (at right), which combine wins, win percentage, earnings per start, and $2 wagering return on investment into a single stat, Cedeno checks in third overall, behind Daniel Centeno and Feargal Lynch. Centeno has eight wins from 24 starts — at 33.33 percent, the highest win percentage in the colony — has the second-highest earnings per start, and owns a positive wagering ROI. Lynch leads the colony with $10,808 earnings per start.
RANK | JOCKEY | TOTAL POINTS | WINS | WIN PCT. | EARNINGS/START | $2 ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centeno Daniel | 290.43 | 8 | 33.33% | $8,069 | $2.16 |
| 2 | Lynch Feargal | 271.38 | 3 | 30.00% | $10,808 | $1.96 |
| 3 | Cedeno Carol | 247.99 | 18 | 20.69% | $3,353 | $1.66 |
| 4 | Torres Jomar | 246.64 | 5 | 33.33% | $6,066 | $1.90 |
| 5 | Vargas Jr Jorge A | 230.09 | 3 | 20.00% | $6,019 | $2.96 |
| 6 | Coa Keiber J | 220.00 | 11 | 17.74% | $3,016 | $2.35 |
| 7 | Pino Mario G | 214.63 | 5 | 21.74% | $6,080 | $1.98 |
| 8 | Marin Augusto A | 209.77 | 4 | 19.05% | $3,286 | $3.03 |
| 9 | Ruiz Jorge | 189.78 | 2 | 20.00% | $3,255 | $2.68 |
| 10 | Cintron Alex | 187.08 | 7 | 20.59% | $4,774 | $1.28 |
| 11 | Panell Dyn | 176.10 | 2 | 16.67% | $3,150 | $2.60 |
| 12 | Rosado Johan | 174.62 | 5 | 21.74% | $4,040 | $1.34 |
| 13 | Swan Kirsten | 161.89 | 3 | 25.00% | $3,010 | $1.28 |
| 14 | Toledo Jevian | 160.48 | 1 | 9.09% | $4,732 | $2.54 |
| 15 | Suarez Angel | 151.82 | 11 | 14.67% | $2,386 | $0.75 |
| 16 | Uske Shannon | 135.33 | 3 | 12.00% | $2,236 | $1.88 |
| 17 | Hamilton Weston | 126.23 | 1 | 8.33% | $3,703 | $1.86 |
| 18 | Quiles Antonio | 102.15 | 3 | 12.00% | $1,814 | $0.99 |
| 19 | Mccarthy Trevor | 98.26 | 3 | 12.50% | $3,053 | $0.48 |
| 20 | Rodriguez Pablo | 96.07 | 4 | 11.43% | $2,127 | $0.60 |
| 21 | Ortega Jomar | 93.33 | 2 | 11.11% | $1,465 | $1.07 |
| 22 | Paz Robert | 91.75 | 2 | 9.52% | $1,539 | $1.15 |
| 23 | Russell Sheldon | 85.20 | 1 | 10.00% | $3,796 | $0.44 |
| 24 | Garcia Jose Angel | 72.54 | 2 | 5.88% | $1,507 | $0.90 |
| 25 | Rose Jeremy | 65.62 | 1 | 7.69% | $3,284 | $0.20 |
| 26 | Betancourt Jose R | 65.38 | 3 | 6.82% | $1,160 | $0.53 |
| 27 | Lara Ezequiel | 55.39 | 2 | 5.26% | $1,481 | $0.45 |
RANK | TRAINER | TOTAL POINTS | WINS | WIN PCT. | EARNINGS/START | $2 ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motion H Graham | 365.91 | 6 | 54.55% | $13,728 | $5.40 |
| 2 | Gonzalez Claudio A | 317.35 | 6 | 60.00% | $11,254 | $3.26 |
| 3 | Pecoraro Anthony | 232.10 | 5 | 35.71% | $7,841 | $2.86 |
| 4 | Carrasco Jr Victor | 219.14 | 5 | 35.71% | $4,384 | $3.52 |
| 5 | Lake Scott A | 196.33 | 8 | 25.00% | $2,775 | $1.86 |
| 6 | Ashby Lynn A | 190.81 | 6 | 31.58% | $4,059 | $1.81 |
| 7 | Ness Jamie | 167.92 | 6 | 25.00% | $3,833 | $1.26 |
| 8 | Delacour Arnaud | 160.26 | 3 | 23.08% | $6,335 | $2.06 |
| 9 | Torrez Jerenesto | 156.78 | 5 | 29.41% | $3,315 | $1.14 |
| 10 | Bennett Gerald S | 156.38 | 6 | 20.00% | $3,851 | $1.08 |
| 11 | Gorham Michael E | 153.69 | 3 | 15.79% | $4,610 | $3.04 |
| 12 | Neilson Wallace C | 132.31 | 3 | 25.00% | $2,042 | $2.07 |
| 13 | Potts Wayne | 100.96 | 4 | 12.50% | $2,559 | $0.62 |
| 14 | Wasiluk Jr Peter | 87.15 | 1 | 9.09% | $2,524 | $2.22 |
| 15 | Hobson Simon | 76.20 | 2 | 12.50% | $2,084 | $0.82 |
| 16 | Galvan Baltazar | 74.46 | 2 | 8.00% | $2,163 | $1.10 |
| 17 | Proctor Thomas F | 69.34 | 1 | 6.67% | $4,854 | $0.56 |
| 18 | Powell Mark K | 62.52 | 2 | 8.00% | $1,388 | $0.76 |
| 19 | Cruz Jesus | 58.92 | 1 | 8.33% | $2,686 | $0.70 |
| 20 | Epley Jr Steve | 56.31 | 1 | 9.09% | $2,968 | $0.38 |
| 21 | Raymond Robert A | 54.00 | 1 | 7.69% | $2,717 | $0.48 |
| 22 | Cronk Samuel F | 50.44 | 1 | 8.33% | $1,929 | $0.54 |
| 23 | Gaffney Hubert | 49.09 | 1 | 9.09% | $1,469 | $0.58 |
| 24 | Stauffer Sr Arthur F | 42.51 | 1 | 5.26% | $1,339 | $0.62 |
| 25 | Danyluk Ken | 37.15 | 1 | 5.00% | $715 | $0.60 |
Claudio Gonzalez showed why he’s one of the top conditioners in the Mid-Atlantic when posted a perfect three for three record with his starters at Delaware Park last week. Gonzalez has won with six of 10 starters overall for a gaudy 60 percent strike rate.
Yet, remarkably, he is not the trainer having the best season at Delaware Park, according to our alternative rankings. That honor goes instead to Graham Motion, who won with one of two starters last week and is six-for-11 overall. Motion is second in win percentage and leads the colony in earnings per start and wagering return on investment.
Gonzalez is second in the rankings, which incorporate wins, win percentage, earnings per start, and $2 wagering return on investment into a single number. Motion and Gonzalez are well clear of the rest at this point, with the top five rounded out by Anthony Pecoraro, Victor Carrasco, Jr., and Scott Lake.
Jamie Ness, Jorge Navarro, Scott Lake and Jerenesto Torrez all posted a pair of wins last week.
Lake leads the overall win standings with eight wins thus far at the meeting, two more than Ness, Bennett, Ashby, Gonzalez and Graham Motion.
TRACK BIAS REPORT
Power of Snunner won the 2017 Obeah at Delaware Park. Photo by Kathleen O’Leary.
- 06/20 – The racing strip has settled into a fairly consistent surface. While horses with early and tactical speed have had success, stalkers and some late runners have also been able to find the winner’s circle. On Wednesday the surface was reasonably fair with the portion along the rail still proving to be a bit dead and tiring.
- 06/21 – Track was somewhat speed-favoring but fair with runners in the middle portions of the strip seeming to travel the best.
- 06/23 – Heavy rains left the surface with some standing water and a condition that varied from sloppy to wet fast. As the program progressed, the sealed surface played more and more favorably to horses closing from the outside part of the strip.
- 06/25 – Track actually seemed to favor runners rallying from off the lead, and again the portion of the strip from the middle out appeared to be the place to be to attain success.
