Delaware Park picks and horses to watch: August 1

Photo by HoofprintsInc.com.

We’ve got Delaware Park picks and horses to watch for Saturday, August 1. The card features eight races.

Race 2 — Maiden claiming

• Two-year-old maiden fillies at the $25,000 claiming level will go 5 1/2 furlongs on the main track.
• If you like maiden races, this is the card for you; five of the eight contests are for the winless. We gotta suspect that #2 Malibu Beauty (2-1) may go off shorter than her morning line. In her debut, at the maiden special weight level, she showed pretty good zip, pressing the early pace of the too-good Hipnotizada before settling for third. It was a perfectly fine first try, and she drops into an easier spot here. She’s a half-sister to two stakes winners and part of a generally precocious family, and note that trainer Gary Capuano is taking advantage of the claiming waiver here for his Del-certified runner. Oh, and he’s a gaudy 20-for-52 with maidens making their second career starts. This daughter of Buffum figures tough in here.

Race 7 — Allowance/optional claiming

• Three-year-olds and up will go 1 mile 70 yards on the turf in a second-level allowance with an optional claiming tag of $25,000.
• We’re really curious to see #6 Howman (8-1) in this grassy allowance. He’s a son of top Euro sire Sea the Stars and out of a Darshaan mare who’s produced a European Group 1 winner and a horse who, racing Stateside, won a stake and placed in another graded event. In other words, this guy is bred to be a runner. He’s making his first career North American start here for new trainer Elizabeth Voss. He hasn’t kept the best of company overseas, and it’ll be interesting to see how he measures up here. Do note that owners Bruton Street-US are better known perhaps for their steeplechase runners.
• You’ll want to give some consideration to #7 The Last Zip (6-1). The City Zip gelding, a $170,000 purchase as a yearling, is a multiple graded stakes-placed sort who’s making his third start off a five-month break. The Mike Stidham trainee has run plenty of good races, and while his last turf try, two back when eighth at Belmont Park, wasn’t great, two of those runners returned to be stakes-placed next out.
• #11 Soglio (7-2) may simply have too much class here: he’s a multiple graded stakes-placed runner versus older horses. Three of four to run back from his last-out win have run one-two in their follow-ups. He’s making his first start since February here for new trainer Steve Klesaris, and Klesaris may be using this to prepare for bigger spots down the road; note that he is not in for the tag.

WAGERS

• Race 1, $2 double: 1, 3, 4 w/ 2 ($6.00 cost)
• Race 7: $2 exacta box 6, 7, 10, 11 ($24.00 cost)
• Good luck!

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