Owner-breeder Charles Blanford earned his first stakes win, and jockey Julio Hernandez put the exclamation point on his decision to move his tack to Delaware in a pair of stakes for two-year-olds at Delaware Park Wednesday.

So, yes, emotions were high.

The White Clay Creek, for fillies, and the Rocky Run conclude the stakes portion of the Delaware Park 2024 racing schedule. The meet itself ends October 17.

In the White Clay Creek, Blanford watched as his homebred Blofeld filly, Beautiful Blome, parlayed a rail-skimming trip under Paco Lopez to upset the $125,000, one-mile test. Later, he fought to find his voice.

“It’s emotional,” Blanford said. “I’m just a small guy with big dreams. I have all my own homebred mares, and I’m just breeding them, and they’re producing.”

Indeed. Blanford, who co-owns Beautiful Blome with Teresa Haupt, will send out Crabs N Beer, who is 5-2 on the morning line in the Maryland Million, another homebred son of Blofeld.

The White Clay Creek appeared to run through the undefeated Caprice, who had won all three of her starts locally. But for her, as for most of the rest of the field, including Beautiful Blome, it was the first try at one mile or beyond.

Caprice was slow out of the gate, put to a drive early, and rounded the far turn wide. But she was willing throughout and, under Jaime Rodriguez, moved to confront longtime leader Not Too Late in upper stretch. But as those two drifted out to mid-track in the lane, Lopez put his mount, trained by Anthony Pecoraro, in gear along the rail.

“My breeding is long, so we knew the next step was two turns,” Blanford said. “But you’re running against a horse that’s undefeated [Caprice], so I was a little skeptical. You hope that you do good, but it’s also good on this side, when you come into this race with not real high expectations to say, ‘I’d just like to get a third.’”

Beautiful Blome was 8 ¼ lengths clear at the wire, with Caprice edging Not Too Late for the place. Running time for the mile over a fast main track – on a spectacular early fall day – was 1:41.49.

Beautiful Blome had been well beaten by Caprice in the Small Wonder at six furlongs. Her prior win had come in a waiver maiden claimer at Laurel Park going seven eighths. The win was her second from five career outings and pushed her to the brink of $130,000 in earnings. She paid $24.00 to win.

One race later in the Rocky Run, Hernandez found himself aboard 7-10 favorite It’s Hammertime. It’s Hammertime, a Maryland-bred son of Vekoma, had won at first asking, didn’t race for three months, and then returned to win the six-furlong First State Dash easily. 

Hernandez, a longtime stalwart at Penn National, had decided earlier this year to move his tack to Delaware. That decision has paid off; Hernandez is currently second at the meet with 56 wins, and today’s win will push him past $1.4 million in purse earnings.

More than that: it has allowed him to get mounts on horses like It’s Hammertime. Hernandez pumped his fist enthusiastically as he crossed the wire a length clear of longtime leader Tony Eclipse.

“I don’t know where this guy is in my top 10 horses, but he’s probably for sure around there,” Hernandez said. “You know, he gave me a lot of confidence lately. When he worked last week, he was amazing. He has a lot of talent.”

It’s Hammertime broke a beat slow in the Rocky Run but quickly put himself into good position, stalking the pace of Tony Eclipse. That runner, ridden by Sheldon Russell for wife Brittany Russell, had won nicely last out to graduate in a one-turn one-mile maiden at Laurel Park. It’s Hammertime and Tony Eclipse were never more than a half-length apart in the first seven furlongs, while gradually pulling away from the field.

It’s Hammertime wore his rival down in the lane to win by 1 ½ lengths. It was another 10-and-change back from Tony Eclipse to the rest of the field. Running time for the mile was 1:39.27.

“We had a good post, he has speed and we kind of got the trip we were hoping for,” said Gary Capuano, who trains It’s Hammertime for Eagle Up Stables, London Reid Thoroughbreds, and Non Stop Stable. “I knew the two (Tony Eclipse) was going to be tough to get by, but I was pretty confident turning for home, especially after Julio (Hernandez) took a peek back to see if anyone else was coming, so I knew he had some horse left.  He finished up really nice.”

Capuano, best known nationally for his work with 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness runner-up Captain Bodgit, has used this race as a springboard before. Last year, in fact, he won the Rocky Run with Copper Tax, who since has won three more stakes and finished third in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby.

Would Hernandez be willing to follow It’s Hammertime going forward?

“For sure,” the rider said. “He’s amazing. For sure.”

CHECK OUT THE LATEST OFF TO THE RACES RADIO!