From a Delware Park release

A freshened Heat Press will to look rebound and return to his winning ways in the closing day feature – the $100,000 Barbaro Stakes – at Delaware Park this Wednesday.  The mile-and-a-sixteenth test for 3-year-olds, named after the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner who broke his maiden at Delaware Park as a 2-year-old, has attracted a field of six.  The Barbaro Stakes has been carded as the seventh race, with an approximate post time of 4:15 p.m.

A lot has changed since Sagamore Farm’s Heat Press last raced on May 18.

The most significant change is the son of Malibu Moon has been gelded.  But the Kentucky-bred conditioned will also be returning to the dirt after finishing sixth in the $100,000 James Murphy Stakes going one mile on the Pimilco grass.  Previously, he finished second in the mile-and-a-sixteenth $75,000 Federcio Tesio at Pimlico on April 27.

“The grass did not improve him any, but it was something I always wanted to try with him,” said trainer H. Graham Motion.  “But after that race, we also felt like he was not moving particularly well and we also decided to geld him.  So he is a first-time gelding and with everything else, I hope it will attribute to getting him back on track.  I think he is the kind that should be competitive in these kinds of races.  He has always been a horse that I think has been on the cusp of doing good things, so hopefully this is the way to get him there.”

Heat Press has a career record of two wins, two seconds and a third from eight starts, with earnings of $83,240.

The one to beat is Arlene’s Sun Star Stable Revocation.  The son of Broken Vow has won his last two by a combined margin of 15 ½-lengths.  On August 11, the Kentucky-bred trained by Kelly Breen broke his maiden by 10-lengths going six furlongs at Parx.  In his most recent, he notched a 5 ½-length triumph in a seven-furlong allowance at Belmont Park on September 14.  He has a career record of two wins, a second and three thirds from six starts, with earnings of $98,050.

(Featured image, of Canonero II winner and Barbaro contender Cerro, by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.)