Delaware Park picks and horses to watch: August 12

Photo by HoofprintsInc.com.

We’ve got Delaware Park picks and horses to watch for Wednesday, August 12. The card features eight races.

Race 3 — Maiden special weight

Maidens three and up will go six furlongs on the main track.
Lael Stables sends out #5 Peachy Keen (6-1) to make his debut in what looks to be a challenging spot. The sophomore Will Take Charge colt is out of the stakes-winning Distorted Humor mare Humorous Miss and is a half-sib to the Grade 2 winner Funny Proposition. This one’s been training forwardly for a barn that wins with 17% of its debut maiden special weight runners and will have meet-leading rider Carol Cedeno in the irons.
Another pricey guy here in #6 Healthcare Heroes (6-1). The John Servis trainee was an RNA as a yearling for $335,000. The Honor Code colt is out of Unbridled’s Song mare Appealing Bride and is a half to the multiple graded winner Appealing Tale plus another stakes winner. He’s been training well for a barn that can win first out of the box.

Fillies and mares three years-old and up will go about 5 furlongs on the turf in a first-level allowance.
Really curious to see how #8 Double Down Dare (7-2) performs in this spot. The Steve Klesaris trainee hasn’t raced since September, so it’s certainly possible she may need a race. When last seen, she broke her maiden in a high-end maiden claimer at the Spa and then ran a better-than-it-seems fourth in the Anne Arundel County at Laurel Park. The winner that day, Miss J McKay, continues to run well, with a couple of stakes placings from two starts this year, and four of the seven who ran behind Miss J McKay returned to win their follow-ups — so that was obviously a plus group. Can this one come back running?

WAGERS