Delaware Park 2019 horses to watch: July 31

Photo by HoofprintsInc.com.

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

Race 3 – Maiden special weight

• Maiden fillies and mares three and up will go five furlongs on the turf.
• That last try on the dirt wasn’t great for #3 Our Flirtation (6-1), but if her debut is any indication, returning to the turf should make a big difference. In her debut, she chased willingly to be third and then was elevated by the disqualification of the winner, Little Skiff. Little Skiff came back to run second and then to break her maiden in two subsequent starts, and fourth-place finisher Fionnbharr won her follow-up to graduate, as well. The Jamie Ness-trained daughter of Jump Start gets reunited with Katie Davis, who rode her on debut, and back on the grass rates a big shot to graduate today.
• A horse who’s had the worst of the trip in her last two is #8 English Heiress (8-1). The Robbie Bailes trainee nearly got wiped out two back at Delaware, and last out at Laurel, she got squeezed back at the start, moved up and had to steady slightly, then had some further traffic in the lane while tiring. Maybe breaking from the outside will get her a cleaner trip today. Angel Cruz is up.
• Selections: 3-8-4-6

Race 5 – Allowance/optional claiming

• Fillies and mares three and up will go five furlongs on the turf in a second-level allowance with an optional claiming tag of $25,000.
• The question on the table is whether #5 Proud Mandate (8-1) will like the turf. If so, the Keith Nations trainee rates a big shot to handle this field. And if not? Pretty much none. She won the first two races of her career before trying her luck in the Light Hearted Stakes, in which she stopped after six furlongs. Dropped back to allowance company last out, she ran second in a two-other than at Delaware and now will try the grass for the first time. Nations tried to get her on the grass in her debut, but the race came off. Her breeding doesn’t scream turf, but of note is that her dam, the Proud Accolade mare Proud Dame, registered her only victory on the green stuff.
• Selections: 5-6-7-2

NOTABLE There are three second-level allowance races on the card today (races 4, 5, and 8). Monmouth-based trainer Jorge Navarro has the morning line favorite in all three, with #5 Donji (9-5) in the fourth, #6 Band of Angels (5-2) in the fifth, and #3 Dupree (2-1) in the nightcap… #5 Thurman Merman (12-1) will make his first start since September 2017 in the eighth race. The Scott Lake trainee has won three of seven starts and will have Katie Davis up… In the fourth race, keep an eye on #4 Fact of War (6-1). Trainer Gary Capuano scratched him out of stakes July 13 and 14 before running him in a starter allowance at Delaware that turned out to be the easiest imaginable spot when it came off the turf and scratched down to just two runners, with Fact of War off at odds of 1-20. He won easily and wheels back on short rest here…

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. 

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