Delaware Park picks and horses to watch: September 8
Joe Parisi- September 8, 2022
Delaware Park has an eight-race card on tap this afternoon, Post time for the opener is 12:30 p.m., and we’ve got Delaware Park picks.
Also, check out Joe’s picks for every Delaware Park race on the Delaware Park simulcast feed!
Check out our other handicapping here!
Carryovers: None Notes: Off the turf
Check out this week’s Handicappers’ Notebook
Race #1 Picks: 1-4-5-2
Race #2 Picks: 5-6-1-4
Race #3 Picks: 6-4-1-2
Race #4 Picks: 6-7-5-8
Race #5 Picks: 6-7-10-4
Race #6 Picks: 1-7-5-9
In this $12,500 claiming race at one mile, Jamie Ness has a strong entry. He usually drops to win and #1 Davidic Line (2-1) fits that bill. He was facing tougher at Parx and looks to be the best of this group. #7 Morocco (7-2) almost won at this level in last. This deep closer will be running late and will need some speed to run at to win. There is not a lot of speed in this race, but it is a weak field and he will be a good competitor. #5 Vicarage (6-1) has won two straight and is now moving up to $12,500. He is in good form and should be considered. #9 Ellas My Love (5-1) ran well in last and has already beaten a couple of other horses in this field. Could get a piece.
Race #7 Picks: 11-10-7-12
The $150,000 Cape Henlopen Stakes has been taken off the turf and will be contested at 1 ½ miles on the main track. #11 Alex Joon (12-1) owns a couple of wins on the main track and has relatively recent dirt form, having won a dirt race in March. He’ll be making his third start off a layoff here and catches a field likely to be shortened by scratches and light on dirt experience… #10 Highway Bound (15-1) won his most recent dirt start impressively, taking a Penn National allowance by seven lengths back in April. Trainer Chuck Lawrence opted to switch surfaces with him thereafter, and he’s made his last five starts on turf or on synthetic. If he successfully makes the switch back to dirt, he projects to be the main speed and will have a major say in the outcome… Though #7 Whiskey Double (8-1) has made his last two starts on the lawn, all three of his victories have come on the main track. His prior dirt form is certainly good enough, but distance is a question: his most recent dirt win, in January, came going six furlongs…
Race #8 Picks: 2-3-5-4
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The Cape Henlopen illustrates one of the problems of the modern era of Thoroughbred racing. The optimum thing to do would be to cancel the race — a 150k Turf Stake that scratches down to 4 runners is a waste of purse money. The race will attract far less handle than had it stayed intact. But because the race is part of 6 multi-race exotics, cancelling it is, from a practical standpoint, impossible. Racing needs a solution to this problem; but any possible solution is also, practically, impossible, because it would require programming changes to the wagering systems at every other racetrack and online wagering platform. And that’s never going to happen.
Tunafish, I think the answer is to run the Henlopen on a soft turf.. I’ve seen other tracks run important stakes races in a bog. They have to be willing to let the turf take a little damage in their biggest remaining turf race of the meet.
Tunafish, One option would be go ahead and run Stakes races on a soft turf. Some tracks are willing to deal with some turf damage to make the race worthwhile, especially toward the end of the meet.
Right, but the Delaware Part turf course is not very, shall we say, robust. Several years ago, Victor Carrasco broke his leg when his horse went down on the turf course. Ever since then, they’ve been very tentative in using the course when any rain hits it.
Very good point. Hopefully someday they will upgrade.