Region’s Best

FIRST STAR: FOGGY NIGHT. Saturday’s feature at Delaware Park was the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks. Parx-based Foggy Night, trained by Butch Reid, pulled off the 14-1 upset by 1 3/4 lengths. Paco Lopez rated her off early leaders Opus Forty Two and Miracle, then asked her for run as the field rounded the final turn. She hit the front under urging in the last eighth despite lugging in, and pulled clear late for her first stakes victory. She’s now earned $278,550 in her 8-race career and has hit the exacta in every race but one. She’s owned by Pine Brook Farm.

SECOND STAR: SHELDON RUSSELL. Russell enjoyed a great day at Laurel Park on Saturday, sweeping their three stakes races. He guided Coconut Cake to a last-to-first victory in the Jameela Stakes, for Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares, for trainer Tim Keefe. Two races later, he put Reid trainee Fore Harp on the early lead in the Laurel Dash and never looked back, cruising to a gate-to-wire two-length victory. He picked up the mount from Frankie Pennington, who was originally named to ride. In the next race, he rode Prince of Jericho to victory in the Concern Stakes, for his wife Brittany. So far at the summer meet, Russell’s won 13 races from 34 mounts, good for a 39% win rate and placing him second in the standings behind Jaime Rodriguez.

THIRD STAR: SOPRAN BASILEA. Graham Motion entered Saturday’s Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes at Delaware in pursuit of his ninth win in that race. He got it when Sopran Basilea came from last to wear down longtime leader Ever Summer to win by a neck under Jorge Ruiz. This was her third graded or group stakes win, with her previous two coming in Italy. She made her American debut in the Gallorette Stakes at Pimlico last out and finished second. She’s owned by Madaket Stables LLC and Bill Strauss.

Laurel Park

FIRST STAR: SHELDON RUSSELL. Made his move in the rider standings this past weekend on a prominent stage.

SECOND STAR: FORE HARP. Flaunted his early speed to win the Laurel Dash.

THIRD STAR: PRINCE OF JERICHO. Sat the trip and won the Concern; he’s yet another horse to run on Preakness weekend and come back to win a stakes.

Charles Town Races

FIRST STAR: COASTAL MISSION. Made it six in a row at Charles Town on Friday as he won a second-level allowance contest at 2-5.

SECOND STAR: ARNALDO BOCACHICA. Coastal Mission was one of three winners on Friday, and five on the weekend, for Charles Town’s top jockey.

THIRD STAR: FULL MOON LOVER. Fought hard on the lead to win a West Virginia-bred allowance race on Saturday.

Delaware Park

FIRST STAR: FOGGY NIGHT. Hopefully this win is a springboard to bigger things for this filly.

SECOND STAR: SOPRAN BASILEA. Looks like another Mid-Atlantic grass star for Graham Motion.

THIRD STAR: LIGHTENING LARRY. Kicked clear late to win Saturday’s Alapocas Run Stakes as the odds-on choice for his third stakes win of the season.

Monmouth Park

FIRST STAR: MY BEAUTIFUL BELLE. This Pennsylvania-bred mare came from off the pace to win Saturday’s Regret Stakes at 11-1 for co-owner and trainer Chuck Spina.

SECOND STAR: MISS NEW YORK. Rallied from last off moderate fractions to win Sunday’s Boiling Springs Stakes.

THIRD STARS: SAMUEL MARIN AND JOMAR TORRES. Marin turned a riding hat trick on Sunday, while Torres rode three winners on Saturday.

Parx Racing

FIRST STAR: HEY MAMALUKE. Fought hard to win Monday’s off-the-grass Power by Far Stakes in a blanket finish.

SECOND STAR: MOVISITOR. One race later, he took the Crowd Pleaser Stakes, also off-the-grass in an 11-1 upset after coming from just off the pace.

THIRD STAR: HOPEFUL TREASURE. Picked up his first win since the 2021 Fall Highweight Handicap in a third-level allowance dash on Monday.