Delaware Park picks and horses to watch: Oct. 7 * The Racing Biz

DELAWARE PARK PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: OCT. 7

*Elate was much the best in the 2019 Delaware Handicap. Photo by Allison Janezic.*

Delaware Park has an 8-race card on tap for this Wednesday. Post time for the opener is 1:15 p.m., and we’ve got Delaware Park picks.

How’d we do last time at Delaware Park?

RACE NUMBER	CONTENDERS	COMMENTS
Race 3	5-12-8-11	Let’s take a swing here with #5 Fightress (10-1). This one has been pretty competitive against some solid rivals, including back in Florida earlier this year, and that last was better than it looks: winner Little Skiff had already won this first allowance condition… We’ll give the speedy #12 Lady Boss (12-1) another crack at it, though it’s worth nothing that she was outfooted to the lead by #13 Glittering Judy last time… Last time out wasn’t much to write home about but two prior tries against allowance foes were just fine for #8 Flyingontheground (5-2), including a decent third three back against a rugged group including stakes winner Introduced… The lightly raced #11 Spin Control (10-1) would be helped if she could get out of the gate in good order, may catch the kind of pace she can run into…
Race 4	7-1-9-4	Two-year-old maidens slug it out here, and let’s give the nod to #7 Hope Has a Name (6-1). She was a better-than-it-looks third on debut: the top pair both came back to win next out, with winner Street Lute winning a stake on Owners Day… #1 Outkickthecoverage (3-1) comes from the high-end Stidham barn; this Hard Spun filly is out of an Awesome Again mare who was a stakes winner, and both of this one’s sibs won at first asking… Trainer Gary Capuano’s horses always seem to run better second time out. We’ll see if that holds true for #9 Hitch a Ride (4-1), who didn’t show much on debut; the fourth-place finisher from that race graduated next out… Curious to see #4 Not On My Watch (6-1); she’s the first foal out of a TIznow mare who was not much of a racehorse (unplaced in six career starts) but by a sire, Not This Time, who has eight first-out winners in this, his first crop, including multiple graded winner Princess Noor…
Race 5	1-5-6-2	Favored #1 Smooth B (9-5) should appreciate getting back on the main track, should get a trip off the speed… When last seen locally, #5 My Boy Lenny (5-2) ran pretty well despite being involved in torrid early fractions… The speedy #6 Absentee (7-2) took a MTH allowance last time, will likely try to press the early pace…
Race 6	2-13-8-9	There have been six turf races at a mile at the meet, and not one of them has been won by a horse who left outside the five-hole. In fact, in turf races at a mile or beyond, horses breaking from outside the five are a combined 9-for-196. This takes on meaning in a race in which the better horses mostly are towards the outer portion of the course, so we’ll try an inside horse for the upset. #2 Mosalah (15-1) gave an awfully good account of herself in her first try against winners, and had she not gotten completely shut off leaving the furlong grounds would likely have finished second. The inside post might aid her cause, as would a cleaner trip… #13 Amanite (3-1) is certainly bred to be a racehorse — a daughter of Tapit out of an Indian Charlie mare — and she was a pretty good second last out at Kentucky Downs in her first try on the lawn. In her second start off a six-month break, she can move forward… #8 Deciding Vote (6-1) closed nicely to graduate last time out, can move forward today… We’re inclined to draw a line through that last for #9 La Babia (5-1), who’d run a pair of good ones prior…
Race 7	8-3-4-6	Where in the world is Roberto Alvarado? He rode #6 Tapsasional (7-2) to a good second on debut, so why isn’t he riding the Gerry Bennett trainee back? Because he’s on Bennett’s other horse in the race, a first-timer by Tourist, #8 Carpenters Call (5-1). Tourist isn’t off to a great start, but Alvarado’s move sure seems like a vote of confidence in this horse… When last seen, #3 So Dialed In (5-2) ran a big one going a mile at MTH; he threw down early fractions that were by far the fastest of the day for any two-turn race (and there were several) and stayed on to the end. He’ll be tough on the cutback… Hot young sire Not This Time has one in here, too, in the form of #4 Arzak (6-1), a $575,000 auction purchase in April who’s been training forwardly for Mike Trombetta…