DELAWARE PARK PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: OCT. 8

Elate
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 Thursday. 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 NUMBERCONTENDERSCOMMENTS
Race 34-2-8-10The most likely winner in here is #4 Puma Punku (7-2), though we doubt you’ll get the morning line on her. The Kitten’s Joy filly is the first foal out of a Grade 1 winner on the turf, and her debut was acceptable; she was bounced around leaving the gate in a maiden at Saratoga and ran evenly the rest of the way. She catches more congenial company today… Love the debut effort by #2 Inanna’s Quest (8-1), who made a strong middle move into the fast part of the race before flattening out late. That was on the main track, but her granddam was a Grade 3 winner on the green stuff, sire Animal Kingdom has done well with turfers, and this one should be fitter second time out… You’ll get paid if this one wins, but we think it’s worth a little flyer on #8 Air Force Pink (15-1). This one didn’t run a step for the first five or so furlongs last time out after getting strangled back after being in tight, but then finished with interest and galloped out best of all. She can move forward today… #10 Killer Dress (9-2) makes her first career start for the Stidham barn, which can win first out of the box. One of her half-siblings is Grade 2-placed on the turf…
Race 61-5-3-6There looks to be some speed in this first-level allowance, which may work to the benefit of #1 Zabracadabra (2-1). He won nicely going two turns last time in his first start in a year and may be able to sit off it and mow them all down late today…#5 Redeem Eddie (3-1) got cooked disputing the pace last time in a race in which the top two finishers were seventh and sixth after a quarter-mile. That debut was a flashy one… #3 Charm City Band (6-1) made her first start since January a winning one last out, and the runner-up bounced back to graduate next out… #6 Absolved (8-5) certainly fits with this group, but do you really want to take short odds on a horse that’s lost 14 consecutive times in first-level allowance company?

LATEST HANDICAPPING