Delaware Park 2018 horses to watch: August 30

by | Aug 30, 2018 | Breaking, DE Racing, Delaware, Racing

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

by Frank Vespe

Delaware Park has an nine-race card on tap for Thursday, August 30, with the finale for Arabians. Post time for the card is 1:15 p.m. Some horses to watch:

Race 3 – Maiden special weight

  • Two-year-olds will go 1 mile 70 yards on the turf.
  • #2 Noble Authority (8-1) makes his debut here for trainer Eddie Graham. The son of Noble Mission was a pricey two-year-old in training purchase back in March, fetching a top bid of $120,000. He’s out of the Bernardini mare Mahkama and is a half-brother to the dirt stake winner Yulong Warrior. A Pennsylvania-bred, he enters with several works under his belt, a couple of them sharp, including a half-mile in 47 3/5 seconds at Laurel Park on August 5. Kevin Gomez will ride.
  • His two dirt tries aren’t bad, among them a near-miss runner-up effort last out at Penn National, but what makes #8 Bellator (3-1) especially worthy of note is that he’s bred to do what he’ll try here for the first time: to go long on the turf. The To Honor and Serve colt, out of the stakes-placed Woodman mare Peace River Lady, is a sibling to five grass winners, including Heavenly Landing, a Grade 3 winner on the green. He gets blinkers on today, and trainer John Servis (25 percent on the year) will leg up regular pilot Frankie Pennington (9-for-20 on Servis’ horses in the last two months).
  • Selections: 8-2-7-6

 

Race 5 – Maiden special weight

  • Two-year-old fillies will go 1 mile 70 yards on the turf.
  • #5 Monkeys Uncle (5-1) was a $300,000 auction purchase as a two-year-old in training in March, and the Uncle Mo filly — out of the unplaced After Market mare Humor Section — has been working steadily since early June for trainer Arnaud Delacour, including several bullet works. Delacour has a good record with debut runners, and he will give a leg up to jockey Daniel Centeno. Centeno has been thriving at Delaware (31 percent) and he and Delacour are 8-for-20 in the last two months.
  • Trainer Christophe Clement sends down #7 Surprise Again (4-1), a $150,000 Noble Mission filly outof the Ghostzapper mare Guest House. Surprise Again is a half-sister to 2017 G3 LeComte Stakes winner Guest Suite. This miss began her training at Saratoga, shifted to Belmont Park and now debuts here at Delaware, which does have to make you wonder if Clement is not super-high on her. Paco Lopez has the mount — another interesting twist, as he’s ridden just four horses at Delaware this year and is named on only two today.
  • Selections: 5-2-7-10

 

 

ARABIAN WATCH

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

Today’s Arabian race is a maiden event for fillies and mares. Two horses, both from trainer Jerenesto Torrez’s barn, seem ready for a win. Crimson Mary was second in her most recent start, and RB Blastfromthepast was third. There are two first time starters – Murphy MHF and Highh Spirits – from trainer Simon Hobson. They are both well-bred fillies that could certainly get a top three finish.