Michael Ryan’s Saddle Up Jessie tops a field of twelve entered in the $125,000 Obeah Stakes at Delaware Park September 18. The mile-and-a-sixteenth test for fillies and mares has attracted a field of twelve.

In her most recent, the 5-year-old daughter of More Than Ready ran second in the mile and a sixteenth $100,000 Caesars Wish at Laurel Park on August 4. Previously, the Kentucky-bred trained by Brittany Russell finished second in the Grade II Delaware Handicap on July 7.  This year, she has a record of a win, three seconds and a third from seven starts. Her one victory came in the one mile $150,000 Heavenly Prize at Aqueduct on February 10.

Saddle Up Jessie owns two career stakes wins, having also won the Carousel Stakes at Laurel Park last December. Her career record is five wins, four seconds and a third from 19 starts with earnings of $408,230.

She is 5-2 on the morning line and will have Sheldon Russell in the irons.

NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds’ Venti Valentine will be racing at Delaware Park for the first time, but the 5-year-old daughter of Firing Line will be bringing an impressive resume.

The New York-bred trained by Jorge Abreu has a career record of seven wins, five seconds and five thirds from 23 starts with earnings of $893,600. This year, she sports a record of a win, two seconds and a third from six starts.

In her most recent, she finished sixth in the New York state-bred $200,000 Yaddo Handicap over the Saratoga grass on August 25. On May 12, she finished third but was placed second after being roughed up in the mile and seventy-yard $100,000 Serena’s Song at Monmouth Park on May 12. She has been graded stakes-placed three times.

“She is doing great,” said trainer Jorge Abreu. “We are getting back to her game by running on the dirt. She always tries hard and we are looking forward to having her run at Delaware. She is ready, but there are some tough horses in this race. We are confident she will run well. She is going to get Paco Lopez back and the last time he rode her in the Serena’s Song, she probably should have won that day, but she got banged around pretty good.”  

Venti Valentine is 6-1 on the morning line.

Other contenders include Frosty O’Toole (9-2) and Evidencias (8-1). The former, trained by Mike Dini, arrives off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park, albeit well behind the winner, champion Idiomatic, and runner-up Soul of an Angel. She has three wins and over $224,000 in earnings from 16 career outings and will have Julio Hernandez up.

The latter won a pair of graded events in her native Brazil but is winless in seven North American tries. Most recently she was third, well beaten by both winner Malibu Beauty and runner-up Saddle Up Jessie, in the Caesar’s Wish at Laurel Park.

Leading rider Jaime Rodriguez will do the honors.

The Obeah is carded as the sixth race on an eight-race program with an estimated post time of 3:00 p.m.

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