Miss Riddler hopes to solve Christiana Stakes
Delaware Park will conclude a three-Saturday streak of major races with a pair of turf stakes for sophomores July 15. The nine-furlong Christiana, for fillies, will go as the fourth race, while the 11-furlong Kent is the nightcap on an eight-race program. Both have $150,000 purses.
Green Lantern Stables’ Miss Riddler tops a field of six entered in the $150,000 Christiana Stakes this Saturday.
In her most recent outing, the daughter of Dialed In ran fourth in the Grade 3 Regret on the Churchill Downs turf course on June 3. In her only other outing this year, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Eddie Kenneally posted a length triumph in a one-mile turf allowance at Keeneland on April 27. In her only start last year, she broke her maiden going one mile at Ellis Park.
Miss Riddler is 9-5 on the morning line. Declan Cannon will ride from the rail.
CJ Thoroughbreds’ Hang the Moon rates as the 2-1 morning line second choice. In her most recent, the daughter of Uncle Mo closed strongly before finishing third in the one mile $100,000 Hilltop over the Pimlico turf on May 19. Previously, the Kentucky-bred trained by Michael Stidham finished fourth in the $75,000 Allen Black Cat LaCombe Memorial going one mile over the Fair Grounds turf course on March 11. She has a career record of two wins and a third from six starts with earnings of $79,300.
“We have been very pleased with her forward progress on numbers,” Stidham said. “Her last race in the Hilltop at Pimlico was a real solid move forward against good stakes fillies. We are hoping she continues to move forward for this race. I think pedigree-wise and her style, she is well suited for the added distance. I am optimistic, she is set up for a big effort.”
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Local leading rider Daniel Centeno has the mount, and the duo will leave from the outermost post of six.
Closing the card, the Kent has attracted a field of seven, including stakes winner Freedom Trail, who scored in last fall’s Awad at Aqueduct and is the 2-1 morning line favorite. Trained by John Terranova, Freedom Trail has certainly kept the right kind of company, racing against the likes of Far Bridge, Nagirroc, Webslinger, and Mo Stash; all four are on the latest Turf 10 list of top grass sophomores, with Far Bridge rated first.
Last time out, in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge, Freedom Trail finished fifth but was beaten less than four lengths. That race’s runner-up, Far Bridge, returned to win the Grade 1 Belmont Derby in his next start.
Jeremy Rose will ride Freedom Trail, and the duo will leave from post three.
One longer shot worth a look is the Stidham-trained Phileas Fogg. Though his two tries to date are both on the main track, his breeding suggests turf shouldn’t be a problem; he’s by Australian sire Astern, a Group 1 winner on the lawn, and out of a More Than Ready mare. The Godolphin-owned runner is 8-1 on the morning line and will have Angel Arroyo up.
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