Trainer Ned Allard brought a pair of sprinters to Laurel Park Sunday, and his Delaware Park-based duo liked it just fine.

Three races after Sunny Breeze blew into town to win the Concern Stakes, Allard’s newest old horse, the five-year-old Dean Delivers, in Allard’s barn for just a few months, zipped to the front and fended off all comers to win the $150,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash. 

The De Francis, once a championship-making, Grade 1 race, isn’t that anymore. But Allard said winning it still packs a punch.

“I started coming to Bowie all through the ‘60s with George Handy, and then one of my early stake wins was closing day at Bowie with a horse by the name of Mr. Cornerstone,” Allard recalled. “But this particular sprint has always been one on my – what do they call it? – my bucket list, and it hadn’t happened yet until today. So that’s really neat.”

Both Sunny Breeze and Dean Delivers are Florida-bred sons of Cajun Breeze, and Allard trains them for Stonehedge LLC, the racing operation started by Gil and Marilyn Campbell and carried on by Marilyn since Gil’s death in 2021.

He helped the Campbells buy their very first horse, named Ski Resort, some 42 years ago. They’ve been together ever since.

“The Campbells have been very loyal clients and it’s been an absolute joy training for them,” Allard said.

Dean Delivers enjoyed a productive Florida-based career under the training of Michael Yates. That included a Grade 3 stakes win and a half-million dollars in earnings.

But things had gone a bit sideways for the five-year-old, and he lost five consecutive races, two as the favorite, before he was transferred north into Allard’s Delaware operation. He’s responded, now, with three consecutive wins: in the May 27 Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park, the July 8 Alapocas Run at Delaware Park, and now, the De Francis.

“I think the Mid-Atlantic weather has helped,” Allard said. “And he really blossomed here, too. He put on some weight. He looks great. He feels great. He’s running great.”

Off the strength of the two earlier wins, Dean Delivers went off the 7-5 favorite, with the Brittany Russell-trained Prince of Jericho and Group 1 winner Sibelius also taking plenty of wagering action.

In both the Mr. Prospector and the Alapocas Run, Dean Delivers was able to sit second and pounce when ready. In the De Francis, however, he was the speed.

“The only flaw today was I was hoping there was a little speed that we could run at,” Allard allowed. “There wasn’t, so he had to kind of go wire to wire. And that made me a little nervous.”

With Jaime Rodriguez up, Dean Delivers led by a half-length at each of the first two calls, and at each, 42-1 outsider Five Dreams was his nearest pursuer. The quarter-mile went in 22.50 seconds, while the half was 45.43.

“My horse just outbroke everybody,” Rodriguez said. “I said, ‘Let me come down nice and easy and eliminate everybody. Let him get comfortable in the beginning.’”

Five Dreams made a bid at the quarter pole that was rebuffed, then found another charge late that fell just three parts of a length short. Gordian Knot, 13-1 at post time, rallied from last to third, and running time for the six furlongs on a fast main track was 1:10.10.

“Every time the eight-horse [Five Dreams] got next to him, he just wanted to go,” Rodriguez said. “Right away when we got to the top of the lane, he changed leads, and he just kept going.”

Prince of Jericho, Little Vic, Sibelius, and Seven’s Eleven rounded out the order of finish.

Dean Delivers paid $4.80 to win, and the exacta, with the longshot underneath, returned $41.10 for a one-dollar wager.

Dean Delivers, now a winner of three straight races, has eight wins in 24 career outings and a bankroll of $727,660. His sire, Cajun Breeze, stands for just $5,000 at the Campbell family’s Stonehedge Farm.

And after a mid-career hiccup, Dean Delivers is now running as well as he ever has.

“Once he got so relaxed, when the eight horse got next to him, he just kept going,” Rodriguez said. “He’s a nice horse.”

NOTES In the $100,000 Alma North Stakes on the De Francis undercard, Apple Picker rallied from well back to run down loose leader Ms. Bucchero to win by three lengths in 1:17.56 for 6 ½ furlongs. It was Apple Picker’s third Maryland stakes win, including the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie this past winter. Sheldon Russell rode the winner for trainer (and wife) Brittany Russell and owner Michael Dubb… In the $100,000 Deputed Testamony, Frosted Departure used his inside post to best advantage, speeding to the early lead and never looking back en route to an 8 ¾-length win under Horacio Karamanos. It was the Frosted colt’s third stakes win. He’s trained by Ken McPeek for R T Racing Stable…

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