Delaware Park 2019 horses to watch: June 29

by | Jun 28, 2019 | Breaking, DE Racing, Delaware, Racing

by Frank Vespe

Delaware Park has a good-looking eight-race card on tap for Saturday. Some horses to watch:

Race 5 – Allowance/optional claiming

  • Three-year-olds and up will go five furlongs on the turf in a second-level allowance with an optional claiming tag of $25,000.
  • If he’s at his best, #2 The Critical Way (2-1) should win this event. The Tizway gelding is a stakes winner on dirt whose best turf outings — including his three-back score in allowance company at Keeneland — would suffice to win here. The problem: he hasn’t raced since an OK fourth-place finish about 11 months ago at Parx Racing in a state-bred stake. He’s been training well enough for conditioner Kelly Rubley, and Raul Mena (1o-for-56 at the meet) will ride. He could win, but you may not be able to coax much value out of him betting-wise.
  • Selections: 2-1-5-7

 

    Race 6 – Maiden special weight

    • Three-year-olds and up will go six furlongs on the main track.
    • Three-year-old #5 No Moon (6-1) is the first foal out of the unraced Awesome Again mare Futurista to reach the racetrack. The Malibu Moon filly is trained by Graham Motion for owner-breeder Wertheimer et Frere. She has a fairly modest work tab that includes — curiously enough — a three-furlong gate work Friday morning, one day before her scheduled debut. Jose Angel Garcia will ride.
    • The horse we suspect may be post-time favorite is #7 Utterly Enchanting (3-1), though she’s second choice on the morning line. She had a useful debut when finishing second to a Christophe Clement-trained Blame filly, bidding up four-wide before being outkicked. Normal second-race improvement could make her tough in here, though it’s worth noting that the third-place finisher that day ran second in a maiden claimer in her next start.
    • Selections: 7-5-3-6

    Race 8 – Allowance/optional claiming

    • Fillies and mares three and up will go six furlongs on the main track in a second-level allowance with an optional claiming tag of $35,000.
    • Her first two starts went very much according to plan for #2 Proud Mandate (6-1), who won ’em both. Her third start — a foray into stakes company in the Light Hearted — was a trainwreck, as she finished last of seven and was beaten 31 lengths. Dropping back into allowance company and shortening up from two turns to six furlongs both should help the Keith Nations trainee. Juan Rodriguez will ride a runner looking to recapture her early promise in her third start of ’19.
    • Another sophomore, #5 Our Super Freak (9-5) has made her last seven starts in stakes company, a streak that includes six placings. The only one of those races in which she did not finish in the money was the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan. Last time out she was second behind runaway winner Fashion Faux Pas in the Light Hearted. She’s another who should appreciate the easier company, and the cutback to six furlongs, a distance at which her record is 4:2-2-0, also should help. Brian Pedroza will ride.

    Arabian Watch

    Thanks to Stephanie Ruff and Arabian Finish Line for giving us insights to the Arabian racing at Delaware Park.

    No Arabian race today.