Delaware Park 2019 horses to watch: June 1
Off at Delaware Park. Photo © www.HoofprintsInc.com.
by Frank Vespe
Delaware Park has an eight-race card on tap for Saturday, with the finale for Arabians. Some horses to watch:
Race 4 – Maiden claiming
- Maidens three-years-old and up at the $40,000 claiming level will go 6 furlongs on the main track.
- Trainer Tim Ritchey has sent out two winners from four starters to date in 2019, which makes for a pretty good start to the year. Here he’ll send out #3 Just Ask George (6-1). He’s a son of Afleet Alex — the horse Ritchey trained to his greatest success — out of a stakes-placed El Corredor mare. This one had a number of works in the fall of 2018 before being put away, and he resumed training in April. He’s been working well enough since, and Ritchey has won with three of his last five to debut in claiming company and is 5-for-13 overall with first-timers. The favorite in here figures to be the class-dropping #1 Flying Bankroll (2-1), who may be too good, but give a look to this one, as well.
- Selections: 3-1-7-5
Race 6 – Allowance/optional claiming
- Three-year-olds and up will go a mile 70 yards on the main track in a second-level allowance with an optional claiming tag of $25,000.
- As a fan of old-timers, it’s nice to see Delaware lover #1 Twocubanbrothersu (9-5) make his first start of the Delaware Park meet. The nine-year-old is 7-for-14 in his career at the Stanton oval, despite a winless skein in three tries last year. The John Rigattieri trainee won his first start of the year, down at Tampa Bay Downs before finishing second and fourth in two subsequent tries. Raul Mena will ride, and it would be nice to see this old-timer — a winner 24 times in 61 career starts — find the winner’s circle once again. Among those he’ll have to contend with is #3 Threes Over Deuces (5-2), who might get a perfect stalking trip.
- Selections: 3-1-2-4
Arabian Watch
Thanks to Stephanie Ruff and Arabian Finish Line for giving us insights to the Arabian racing at Delaware Park.
