Delaware Park Racing Notebook 2018: Vol. 5
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
- TAPIT TOGETHER – Regally bred Augustin Stable runner had to be checked and steadied behind horses until the stretch and has now had bad trips in each of her last two starts. The daughter of champion Forever Together is sitting on a big effort.
- MONHEGAN – Half-sister to graded winner Coal Play lagged far back in debut before showing some late interest. Trainer Michael Matz is known for bringing his horses along slowly and look for this one to move forward off that effort.
- GLORIOUS EMPIRE – Came off a short layoff in sharp form, pulling away from a pretty tough group of turf routers last out and might be a value play at a good price if tried with stakes company next start.
- TAP THE MARK – Won in convincing factor from the one post in his debut – not an easy task for first-time starters in sprint races. This Claudio Gonzalez trainee may have a future.
CLOCKERS’ CORNER
- MAKE MY SATURDAY – This Scott Lake runner who finished third last out drilled a quick half in :47.80 from the gate on June 30 – the fastest of 26 at the distance.
- SOLAR VORTEX – Posted a solid half-mile move of :48.60 for trainer Arnaud Delacour. Sixth in his last start, look for improvement from this one if he carries his morning drills to the races.
- LADY KESWICK – This Dale Capuano trainee clicked out a fast half in :47.80 on 6/28.
JOCKEYS AND TRAINERS
Apprentice Johan Rosado and Carol Cedeno shared the spotlight this past week when each booted home four winners. Rosado, who is leading all apprentices here with nine wins for the meeting, is winning at a 30% clip and is starting to look like a rider with a future.
Cedeno just keeps rolling along, building on her overall lead. She has 24 wins for the meeting, 11 more than Angel Suarez and Keiber Coa, who are tied for second.
In our alternative rankings (at right), which combine wins, win percentage, earnings per start, and $2 wagering return on investment into a single stat, Brian Pedroza is making the most of limited local opportunities and leads the colony with 289.96 points — about 16 more than Daniel Centeno, with Cedeno in third. Pedroza leads the colony in win percentage wagering ROI ($3.04 returned for each two-dollar bet) and is third in earnings per start.
RANK | JOCKEY | TOTAL POINTS | WINS | WIN PCT. | EARNINGS/START | $2 ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pedroza Brian | 289.96 | 5 | 38.46% | $6,101.92 | $3.04 |
| 2 | Centeno Daniel | 273.51 | 11 | 32.35% | $7,213.09 | $1.88 |
| 3 | Cedeno Carol | 254.18 | 24 | 22.02% | $3,736.97 | $1.66 |
| 4 | Lynch Feargal | 245.03 | 5 | 27.78% | $8,826.78 | $1.58 |
| 5 | Rosado Johan | 234.84 | 9 | 27.27% | $4,017.27 | $2.46 |
| 6 | Marin Augusto A | 209.24 | 6 | 18.75% | $3,357.50 | $2.96 |
| 7 | Vargas Jr Jorge A | 207.45 | 3 | 17.65% | $5,550.59 | $2.62 |
| 8 | Coa Keiber J | 204.32 | 13 | 17.57% | $3,064.93 | $2.12 |
| 9 | Toledo Jevian | 194.18 | 2 | 15.38% | $5,615.00 | $2.50 |
| 10 | Cintron Alex | 179.33 | 8 | 18.60% | $4,493.84 | $1.42 |
| 11 | Torres Jomar | 179.20 | 5 | 22.73% | $4,988.18 | $1.30 |
| 12 | Pino Mario G | 178.31 | 5 | 17.86% | $5,098.57 | $1.62 |
| 13 | Ruiz Jorge | 159.30 | 2 | 16.67% | $3,006.25 | $2.24 |
| 14 | Uske Shannon | 158.36 | 4 | 13.79% | $2,367.07 | $2.40 |
| 15 | Swan Kirsten | 145.56 | 3 | 23.08% | $3,008.85 | $1.18 |
| 16 | Suarez Angel | 143.16 | 13 | 14.44% | $2,294.88 | $0.77 |
| 17 | Ortega Jomar | 132.79 | 3 | 14.29% | $1,753.10 | $1.92 |
| 18 | Panell Dyn | 120.13 | 2 | 11.11% | $2,265.56 | $1.74 |
| 19 | Quiles Antonio | 116.77 | 4 | 14.81% | $2,055.00 | $1.16 |
| 20 | Hamilton Weston | 115.07 | 1 | 7.14% | $3,562.43 | $1.58 |
| 21 | Garcia Jose Angel | 105.15 | 5 | 10.20% | $1,765.35 | $1.15 |
| 22 | Mccarthy Trevor | 87.44 | 3 | 10.71% | $2,994.64 | $0.40 |
| 23 | Russell Sheldon | 84.17 | 1 | 9.09% | $3,814.09 | $0.40 |
| 24 | Rodriguez Pablo | 81.42 | 4 | 9.52% | $2,055.71 | $0.51 |
| 25 | Powell Ryan | 76.51 | 1 | 7.69% | $1,672.08 | $1.02 |
| 26 | Paz Robert | 73.50 | 2 | 7.69% | $1,311.15 | $0.92 |
| 27 | Betancourt Jose R | 58.98 | 3 | 6.38% | $1,201.11 | $0.49 |
| 28 | Rose Jeremy | 58.47 | 1 | 6.25% | $2,894.69 | $0.16 |
| 29 | Lara Ezequiel | 48.48 | 2 | 4.55% | $1,391.93 | $0.38 |
RANK | TRAINER | TOTAL POINTS | WINS | WIN PCT. | EARNINGS/START | $2 ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motion H Graham | 340.90 | 6 | 42.86% | $11,052 | $4.24 |
| 2 | Gonzalez Claudio A | 337.91 | 7 | 53.85% | $10,395 | $2.96 |
| 3 | Pecoraro Anthony | 270.12 | 7 | 36.84% | $6,985 | $2.72 |
| 4 | Jacobson David | 233.10 | 5 | 45.45% | $5,161 | $2.08 |
| 5 | Tsirigotis Jr James | 225.73 | 4 | 28.57% | $3,119 | $4.48 |
| 6 | Carrasco Jr Victor | 215.62 | 6 | 28.57% | $3,690 | $2.80 |
| 7 | Ness Jamie | 213.95 | 9 | 26.47% | $4,053 | $1.26 |
| 8 | Lake Scott A | 210.33 | 9 | 24.32% | $2,761 | $1.80 |
| 9 | Gorham Michael E | 209.98 | 5 | 19.23% | $4,683 | $3.42 |
| 10 | Neilson Wallace C | 201.99 | 5 | 33.33% | $2,533 | $2.76 |
| 11 | Ashby Lynn A | 196.93 | 6 | 30.00% | $4,006 | $1.72 |
| 12 | Capuano Gary | 192.61 | 3 | 23.08% | $5,663 | $2.92 |
| 13 | Torrez Jerenesto | 159.83 | 5 | 27.78% | $3,159 | $1.08 |
| 14 | Delacour Arnaud | 156.65 | 3 | 18.75% | $5,636 | $1.68 |
| 15 | Bennett Gerald S | 150.69 | 6 | 16.67% | $3,645 | $0.90 |
| 16 | Potts Wayne | 136.68 | 6 | 15.00% | $2,686 | $0.80 |
| 17 | Proctor Thomas F | 134.45 | 3 | 15.00% | $5,975 | $0.86 |
| 18 | Galvan Baltazar | 130.89 | 4 | 12.50% | $2,745 | $1.72 |
| 19 | Wasiluk Jr Peter | 87.53 | 1 | 7.69% | $2,230 | $1.88 |
| 20 | Rubley Kelly | 78.32 | 1 | 9.09% | $3,835 | $0.70 |
| 21 | Hobson Simon | 76.57 | 2 | 11.11% | $1,901 | $0.74 |
| 22 | Rigattieri John | 64.83 | 1 | 9.09% | $2,542 | $0.62 |
| 23 | Powell Mark K | 61.18 | 2 | 6.90% | $1,262 | $0.66 |
| 24 | Cruz Jesus | 61.13 | 1 | 7.14% | $2,582 | $0.60 |
| 25 | Epley Jr Steve | 55.87 | 1 | 7.69% | $2,579 | $0.32 |
| 26 | Raymond Robert A | 54.50 | 1 | 6.67% | $2,391 | $0.42 |
| 27 | Cronk Samuel F | 53.29 | 1 | 7.69% | $1,850 | $0.50 |
| 28 | Gaffney Hubert | 48.34 | 1 | 7.69% | $1,302 | $0.50 |
| 29 | Stauffer Sr Arthur F | 41.22 | 1 | 4.35% | $1,152 | $0.52 |
| 30 | Danyluk Ken | 36.04 | 1 | 3.85% | $830 | $0.46 |
On the trainer’s side six horsemen each sent out two winners. Jamie Ness, Wayne Potts, Wallace Neilson, Baltazar Galvan, Tom Proctor and Andrew Simoff each had a pair of winners. Ness is currently tied with Scott Lake for the meet lead with nine wins each, while Claudio Gonzalez has been deadly with the horses he’s been shipping up from Maryland with seven wins from just 13 starters.
Gonzalez remains second in our alternative trainer rankings,which incorporate wins, win percentage, earnings per start, and $2 wagering return on investment into a single number. He’s just behind Graham Motion, and they are well clear of the rest of the colony. Gonzalez has the colony’s top win percentage and trails only Motion in earnings per start. And while his $2.96 wagering return on investment is solid, it is well behind Motion’s stellar $4.24 or James Tsirigotis’ meet-leading $4.46.
The rest of the top five includes Anthony Pecoraro, David Jacobson, and Tsirigotis, with Ness and Lake in seventh and eighth, respectively.
TRACK BIAS REPORT
Power of Snunner won the 2017 Obeah at Delaware Park. Photo by Kathleen O’Leary.
- 06/25 – Stalkers and late-closing types did well on this Monday program as speed didn’t hold up all that well.
- 06/27 – The track tightened up a bit on Wednesday with speed runners and horses racing close to the pace enjoying the most success.
- 06/28 – The surface was reasonably fair for Thursday’s races with horses racing from the middle of the strip on out seeming to travel the best.
- 06/30 – The surface appeared tighter and quicker for Saturday’s races as reflected by some fast times in several of the races, most notably the eighth race.
