A pair of Delaware certified contests scheduled for Wednesday at Delaware Park could turn out to be the Capuano Show. Trainers Gary Capuano and Phil Capuano – father and son, respectively – are slated to send out the favorites in the races that used to be known as the First State Dash and Small Wonder, respectively.

The two $100,000 contests highlight the Wednesday card, and on Thursday, a pair of similar contests for older Delaware certified runners – the Tax Free Shopping Distaff and the New Castle – are the main events. The races, previously considered stakes, are now run as allowance contests.

In Wednesday’s Small Wonder, for two-year-old fillies that are Delaware certified, the Phil Capuano-trained Just Great is the 3-2 morning line favorite following an eye-popping 13 ¾-length victory on debut that netted her a field-topping 65 Beyer speed figure. That win came in a similar Delaware certified event, and only one of her five beaten rivals that day, Super Fabulous (12-1), is back for a return match.

Just Great, a Maryland-bred Great Notion filly bred by Keith Harpster, was sold by owner Lou Ulman following that win to a partnership between Team Valor International and Gary Barber. She’s showing a solid half-mile move in the interim and will get leading rider Jaime Rodriguez in the irons.

Others worth a look include Lubu, an easy first-out winner for trainer Anthony Pecoraro, and Lucky Cougar, who won at first asking at Thistledown for trainer Jason DaCosta. DaCosta has made only two starts at Delaware in the last five years; Latin Spice ran third in an allowance and then third again in the First State Dash, both in 2020.

Also of note is Dwelling Legacy for Brittany Russell and Pinochle Partners. The Blofeld filly has several solid works under her belt, and Russell and rider Jevian Toledo are 4-for-4 when teaming up with first-timers at Delaware Park.

Two races later in the First State Dash, Gary Capuano will saddle another first-time starter: Copper Tax, a Copper Bullet filly owned by Rose Petal Stables LLC. After running second in her career bow in a race that produced three next-out winners, Copper Tax returned to win easily in her second start. Most recently, she won a local allowance contest by eight lengths while earning a 76 Beyer speed figure.

Jaime Rodriguez will ride Copper Tax, who is showing two fast works since that September 1 contest.

This race, however, projects as perhaps a more wide-open affair than the Small Wonder. Trainer Cal Lynch will saddle the main threat in the form of Give It a Whirl (5-2). The Hard Spun colt won his first two starts with aplomb before finishing fourth in the one-mile, $200,000 Sapling at Monmouth Park. Angel Arroyo will ride.

Other runners who won at first asking include Sharp Tones for Lynn Ashby, who won on the turf and is a half to stakes winner Epic Luck; Thunder Lad, who scored a 47-1 upset for Hassan Elamri at Laurel; Speedyness, who was well beaten by Give It a Whirl second time out; Yahoo Omar, who won a maiden claimer easily for Andy Simoff; and Mon Gateau, who won easily at Timonium for Gina Robb and was claimed. He’ll make his first start in the Anthony Farrior barn.

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