Delaware Park 2019 horses to watch: July 24

by | Jul 24, 2019 | Breaking, DE Racing, Delaware, Racing

Photo by HoofprintsInc.com.

Delaware Park has a solid eight-race card lined up today. Some horses to watch:

Race 3 – Maiden special weight

  • Maidens three-years-old and up will go 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf.
  • This is a nice group of maidens, and the Graham Motion trainee #3 Scattered Strikes (2-1) figures to go favored if this one stays on the grass. He’s run two pretty good races on the lawn, including his debut, in which he was a well-beaten third — but the winner, Social Paranoia, is now multiple graded stakes-placed, including a runner-up try in the G1 Belmont Derby.
  • A horse who rates a big shot if this one comes off onto the main track (and could win on either surface) is the Arnaud Delacour-trained #4 Mind the Gap (3-1). He’ll be making his first start of 2019 here and has been second twice in two dirt starts, the first of which came behind Five Star General, who won a stake in his follow-up. Delacour has a terrific record in bringing horses back off layoffs like this, and this Street Sense colt has been working fast in preparation.
  • #5 Star Fitzstall (4-1) hasn’t done anything but run good races on the main track and probably will be favored if the race comes off the turf. But make note if it stays on: sire Star Guitar can get you a turf runner, and dam Wild About Marie was a six-time winner on the lawn, including a stakes win. 

Race 5 – Allowance/optional claiming

  • Three-year-olds and up will go a mile on the turf in a second-level allowance with an optional claiming tag of $25,000.
  • Not sure we’d make him the most likely winner, but if this race comes off the turf, one place to look will be #9 Tappin Cat (10-1). His speed figs don’t quite measure up, but the Gary Capuano trainee has won two of just five total starts in his career, and his last out runner-up effort may be better than it looks. The first- and third-place finishers both won their follow-ups, with the former being put up to victory in the $250,000 Iowa Derby. That runner looks like one of the region’s better late-developing sophomores, so this gelding certainly has the look of one who can improve.
  • Speaking of horses who can improve, #11 Verboten (4-1) also has that look and could factor in here if the race stays on the turf.  Last time out, the Graham Motion trainee made his first start in 13 months and gave a willing effort chasing loose-on-the-lead Archaggelos. The show horse won his next start, and this one can certainly take a step forward in his second start back.Also of note: rider Jorge Vargas, Jr., who rode both Motion trainees in this race in their last starts, lands on this one.

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.