Delaware Park picks and analysis: June 9, 2023
Frank Vespe- June 9, 2023
Live racing at Delaware Park kicks off May 24 and runs through late October.
Once again this year, we will have Delaware Park picks and analysis for every day of live racing at the venerable track.
Today’s card features eight races, and first post is 12:30 EDT.
Race #1 Picks: 1-6-5-3
Top choice #1 Az Sharp (3-1) gets Lasix on after a green but useful debut. An alert break would aid the cause… Having a start over the strip should stand #6 Freestanding (4-1) in good stead, as he led a long way but tired rather dramatically late over the notably deep and slow surface. He makes his second start with Lasix and blinkers and can improve… Morning line favorite #5 April Fools Andy (7-5) hasn’t run badly while facing better at Oaklawn and certainly deserves the short odds, but it feels worth taking a stand against here…
Race #2 Picks: 6-4-5-1
Last time out #6 Incontrovertible (6-1) ran a pretty good race against better at Pimlico. That was his her first in a year, and here she stretches out to her preferred longer distance, and her best is good enough… Morning line fave #4 Gwynedd (9-5) hasn’t run since February. Trainer Ben Perkins is 4-for-22 off similar breaks, though the last time she came off the bench, this mare needed one… The two since the Cash claim are not good for #5 Gymnast (8-1), but a sharp June 1 work may presage a return to better form…
Race #3 Picks: 1-4-7-3
Veteran conditioner Gary Capuano takes advantage of this race’s hybrid conditions to get #1 Sagrada Ray (4-1) in this spot; he’s the only runner here with three wins. Last out he controlled throughout to win a lifetime claimer at Pimlico, and while he benefited from the run of the race, he did come home swiftly. A repeat is possible… His last two aren’t great, but last year #4 Benny Havens (8-1) made two middling starts before showing marked improvement in his third off the bench. Similar conditions apply here… He’s not a world-beater, but #7 Mighty Meister (8-1) fits with these quite well…
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Race #4 Picks: 1-6-3-5
That was a useful return to action for #1 Ain’t Wasting Time (9-5), who tired late in a starter contest. He should be fitter today… #6 King Cairo (9-2) has been competing effectively against similar at Tampa… His better efforts would put #3 Brett’s World (3-1) right in the mix…
Race #5 Picks: 7-9-3-8
In this interesting turf maiden, we’ll give the nod to #7 Langlee Avenue (5-1). High-end connections liked him enough to nominate him to the Triple Crown, and he didn’t run badly last out in his turf debut, leading for much of the contest before fading late. He’s showing a solid work in the interim, blinkers go on, and any improvement would make him a graduate… Trainer Graham Motion sends out a pair of interesting runners, and while he doesn’t have the best record with debut runners going a route of ground — 8% strike rate — solid connections and strong breeding do make you pay attention. #9 Amani’s Tiger (6-1) is an American Pharoah colt who’s a half to a couple of useful runners, one of whom won at first asking.. #3 Admiral’s Wave (7-2) has run a pair of good ones since switching over to the turf…
Joe’s Notes
- Racing returns after missing two days because of air quality issues…
- Jaime Rodriguez and Jeremy Rose are tied atop the jockey standings with six wins apiece thus far, while Brittany Russell’s five wins lead all trainers…
Race #6 Picks: 3-1-2-6
His last two aren’t good, but #3 Warrior in Chief (3-1) has always had form that’s a bit in-and-out. We’ll give him a chance to get back into the groove in a paceless affair in which he should be engaged from the jump… #1 Maythehorsebwithu (2-1) ran a credible race in last, and like our top choice, has efforts clearly good enough to win… Curious to see if they send #2 Apache (4-1) as he stretches out to a route of ground…
Race #7 Picks: 4-1-6-3
What a good race this second-level allowance turf sprint is… #1 Crispy Cat (8-5) deserves the honors as the fave after three straight stakes tries, including a win in the Texas Glitter. His challenge: breaking from the rail, he’ll need to get away alertly or risk finding himself behind a wall of horses… For that reason we landed on #4 Smithwick’s Spice (2-1), who has done nothing but run good races since switching over to the lawn. He’s gone 4-for-6 with a bevy of mid-80s Beyer speed figs, and if he comes off the bench running, he should be right there… The speedy #6 Silardi (7-2) may play catch-me-if-you-can, as he has in a number of earlier turf sprint tries, and he arrives off a win versus allowance/optional claimer types at Gulfstream…
Race #8 Picks: 6-4-3-1
Let’s finish with a flourish, and see if crafty trainer Jose Corrales can get longshot #6 Destined to Dance (10-1) home in this bottom maiden event. The Destin filly showed precisely nothing in her first two starts, but last out, in a two-turn maiden race at CT, she made a bit of a middle move before flattening out. Maybe she’s starting to figure it out? Corrales wins at a 16% clip at Delaware… #4 Honeycamp (9-5) had a couple of credible tries versus better at Oaklawn… Morning line favorite #3 Job’s Not Finished (3-2) ran evenly against $25k maidens in last and here drops all the way to the bottom…
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