Delaware Park picks and horses to watch: June 27

Photo by HoofprintsInc.com.

Delaware Park has a 9-race Saturday card lined up for June 27. We’ve got Delaware Park picks and horses to watch:

Race 7 — Maiden claiming

• Maiden fillies and mares three-years-old and up running for a $16,000 tag will go one mile on the turf.
• First time on the lawn for #10 Truly Red (4-1), who ran second last time out sprinting on the dirt versus similar in her first try at this level. That was a couple weeks back, and she should be fitter today. Her dam, Yes It’s Red, won a minor turf stake at Ft. Erie back in her racing days.
• In races like this, with a bunch of horses coming off long layoffs, trainer intent can be a bit of a guessing game. We’re specifically thinking about #12 Glossamer (5-1). The Lynn Ashby-trained sophomore Imagining filly had a perfectly credible debut last September on the DEL lawn, finishing sixth but beaten less than five lengths in a maiden special weight event. The winner, Dixie Cannon, came back to win an allowance at LRL. So why’s this one in for $16k? She’s a homebred for owner William Gotwals, which gives him a bit more room to maneuver, and she’s by a modestly priced regional sire in Imagining. So perhaps it’s nothing more than taking an advantage where one exists. Definitely usable in this spot.

Race 8 — Allowance

• Three-year-olds that have never won two races will go a mile on the main track in this allowance for horses that have never won two races.
• It’ll be the first time out since December for #3 Ashraq (4-1), who last raced in a turf stake in December over yielding ground at AQU. That was just his second start and his debut may actually have been something to write home about: among his beaten rivals was Max Player, who came back to graduate next out, then won the Grade 3 Withers, and most recently was third — in his first start in over four months — in the G1 Belmont Stakes. There doesn’t appear to be a Max Player in here.
• #5 Irish Cork (3-2) hasn’t done anything wrong, finishing in the money in all five career starts. He finished second twice in allowance company for trainer John Servis following a 10-length maiden score in the slop; he finished second behind Max Player (see above) in his second career start.

WAGERS

• Race 7, $2 double: 2, 10, 12 w/ 3, 5 ($12)
• Race 7, 50-cent Pick 3: 2, 10, 12 w/ 3, 5 w/ 2, 5, 7 ($9)
• Good luck!

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