Delaware Park 2019 horses to watch: September 23

Photo by HoofprintsInc.com.

Delaware Park has an eight-race card lined up for Monday, September 23. Some horses to watch:

Race 3 — Allowance/optional claiming

Three-year-olds and up will go 1 mile 70 yards on the main track in a third-level allowance with an optional claiming price of $50,000.
Since posting a dominant allowance win here back in June, things have gone somewhat sideways for #5 Archaggelos (3-1). In two straight follow-ups, one a $75,000 stake, he led and faded. Then last time out, in the 12-furlong Presious Passion at Monmouth Park, he ran evenly, fourth at every call, and finished fourth. That was his first try with blinkers off after four wearing them, and today he’s slated to be blinks off once again. He’s also switching back to the dirt, a surface on which he has one win from three tries. This feels like a pretty good spot for him to try the main track again; it’s a compact field of five, and breaking from the outside, he should be able to use his speed to best advantage, either to clear the field or to press the pace. On the other hand, it’s no easy group. Also of note: this one has had two works sine his last race, August 31, and for one of those, he was shipped to Delaware to breeze five-eighths. Victor Carrasco has the mount for Michael Dickinson.
Selections: 5-3-4-2

Maiden fillies and mares 3-years-old and up will go 1 mile 70 yards on the turf.
It’s an intriguing group of fillies and mares that’ll slug it out here, including several nicely bred first-timers worth a look. Among them is #5 Sugar Plum Fairy (8-1). Last weekend, Phat Man won the Good Magic Mile Stakes at Monmouth Park, and here today, his half-sister by Drosselmeyer, Sugar Plum Fairy, will make her debut. She’s actually a half to two stakes winners, including Phat Man, and it’s curious to see her ship up from Louisiana for this race (and for trainer Keith Dickey’s first of the meet here). The two-turn distance usually is a challenge for a first-timer, but with Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Drosselmeyer on top, she figures to want a route of ground sooner or later. Alex Cintron is up.
Another first-timer in here sired by a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner is #6 Juluca (8-1), a daughter of Blame bred, owned, and trained by Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard. She is a full-sister to Daisy, a runner who won at first asking and then won the Grade 3 Tempted in her second start, so there’s plenty of both class and win-early in her genes. You’d expect her to be more dirt than turf, but it’s notable that Sheppard has gotten her four works on the grass at Saratoga, which presumably means he likes what he sees from her on the green stuff. Brittany Scampton will ride.
Selections: 5-7-6-1A

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.