Who’re we watching? Let’s see what’s on tap in the mid-Atlantic this weekend:

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Saturday, 2:45 p.m., Delaware Park’s Dashing Beauty S. 6 furlongs, fillies and mares 3yo and up, $50,000 purse.  Five of seven signed up have stakes wins on the page.

  • 1. #4 Satan’s Mistress (9-2 morning line) —  Cibelli trainee ripped through an almost unbelievable final quarter of :22.2 en route to a win over optional claiming rivals last time out. She’s had an out over the track and with 10 wins from 29 starts, is obviously a warrior.
  • 2. #6 Galiana (5-2) — Romero runner loves the local strip with 7 wins from 8 starts over the surface, runs good off fresheners and is as game an honest as they come.
  • 3. #2 Disco Chick (10-1) — Jump Start filly cut out fractions of :21.3 and :43.4 and was still in front to the final sixteenth of her last, the Red Cross at Monmouth and looks like the quickest of the quick ones in here.
  • 4. #7 Aireofdistinction (6-1) — Cooked up front in last by millionaire La Verdad, should appreciate more modest company.

Saturday, 4:04 p.m., Parx Racing’s G3 Parx Dash 5 furlongs on the turf for 3yo and up, $200,000 purse.  Did the racing office tell the stakes coordinator to round up the usual suspects?

  • 1. #2 Ben’s Cat (5-2) — Sure, we’re rooting for the 9-year-old, and, sure, there’s more heart than head in this selection, but Leatherbury trainee ran great last out with a little bit of traffic trouble and has never been worse than third in eight Parx tries.
  • 2. #9 Power Alert (9-2) — Aussie runner backed up twice late at slightly longer distances but has won all three 5f tries in North America.
  • 3. #1 Bold Thunder (4-1) — Speedster draws the rail and hopes to take the short way all the way ’round — but he’s been run down late in last two.
  • 4. #10 Amelia’s Wild Ride (5-1) — Big effort last out to get the money by a nose over today’s favorite; will need a repeat.

Saturday, 4:15 p.m., Delaware Park’s Cape Henlopen S. 1 1/2 miles on the turf, 3yo and up, $50,000 purse.  Modest event produced last year’s G1 Arlington Million winner and attracts an intriguing cast.

  • 1. #7 Montclair (9-2) — Five-year-old makes his U.S. debut for top flight turf trainer Christophe Clement, was a graded stakes winner while conditioned by training legend Andre Fabre in France, and this could be just be the first chapter for this one to target graded stakes company at Saratoga and beyond, definite class edge.
  • 2. #9 Holiday Star (4-1) — Trainer Motion has two in here and, though uncoupled, both have Edgar Prado named to ride, suggesting one may scratch. This guy was a solid third in this race last year, is a graded stakes winner at today’s distance and should be in striking distance from the start
  • 3. #2 Tacitus (5-1) — From the same connections that brought us Main Sequence, and while he’s been racing in at second-tier courses in England, Motion has had him training in New York, which would suggest he has some quality.
  • 4. #13 Manchurian High (7-2) — The Daddy gelding loves the Henlopen distance and finds a softer spot after two so-so efforts with tougher.

Saturday, 5:15 p.m., Delaware Park’s G3 Robert G. Dick Memorial 1 3/8 miles on the turf, fillies and mares 3yo and up, $200,000 purse.  Field of 10 is light on experience but contains two graded winners.

  • 1. #1 Kitten’s Point (4-1) — Half of the Motion entry and the only member of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll in action this weekend, PA-bred daughter of Kitten’s Joy has a pair of wins and a third at marathon distances from her four starts this season and was only off the board in the Very One at Gulfstream, a totally paceless race that featured a half mile of :53.3. Shouldn’t be that far back and race has enough speed to ensure an honest pace.
  • 2. #1a Chat (4-1) — Don’t take the other half of the Motion entry lightly. Her first at Keeneland was an absolute drill, and you rarely come from last and win over this turf course which is what she tried to do last out.  She will be closer and more dangerous going 11 furlongs.
  • 3. #9 Rosalind (5-2) — Chad Brown trainee has a win and second with graded company on the turf since being moved to one of the top turf barns in the country.
  • 4. #7 Queen’s Parade (6-1) — Giant’s Causeway filly tries stakes company for the first time but has the bloodlines to run all day and gets one of the most capable stakes riders in the business in Johnny V.

Saturday, 5:43 p.m., Monmouth Park’s Long Branch S. 1 1/16 miles, 3yo, $100,000 purse.  Last call for Haskell invitations!

  • 1. #5 Gorgeous Bird (9-2) — Unbridled’s Song colt not up to the Bluegrass/Fountain of Youth runners he faced in the spring, but they’re not here.
  • 2. #3 Stanford (7-5) — Pletcher trainee figures best in here, but at 7-5, what’s fun about that?
  • 3. #6 Souper Colossal (8-5) — War Front colt returns to the main track, where he’s done his best work; 3-for-3 over the MTH dirt.
  • 4. #4 Fortuitous Path (5-1) — Quality Road runner figures to like the added ground; no shame in two back defeat to Tommy Macho, recently third in G3 Dwyer.

Saturday, 5:45 p.m., Delaware Park’s G3 Delaware Oaks 1 1/16 miles, 3yo fillies, $300,000 purse.  With Kentucky Oaks winner Lovely Maria in the house, Del Park’s already won this one.

  • 1. #4 Danzatrice (8-1) — Cal Lynch trainee had three wins and a head loss going into the Grade I Acorn and had a legit excuse after losing her left front shoe halfway through. In spite of that she regrouped in the stretch and passed several horses to wind up fourth. With Lovely Maria most likely not sitting on tilt for this first race leading to the Alabama and possible Breeders’ Cup date, this is the prime time to try and beat a very talented foe.
  • 2. #5 Lovely Maria (1-1) — Kentucky Oaks winner will be the strong favorite, and if you think she has so much class she can beat this field even if not, as her trainer said, “110 per cent fit,” then she’s your choice.
  • 3. #8 Peace and War (6-1) — War Front filly showed a much improved effort in her first start for Motion and also displayed speed that was absent in her first three U.S. races. Figures to be in a striking position behind a couple of suspect speed rivals and if she moves forward again Saturday, could be right in the thick of things
  • 4. #3 Bar of Gold (10-1) — Lightly raced sort had it rough in the G1 Acorn, figures to get a better trip and sit closer to the pace here.

Sunday, 5:43 p.m., Monmouth Park’s Klassy Briefcase S. 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf, fillies and mares 3yo and up, $60,000 purse.  Good group in a wide-open affair.

  • 1. #2 Lady Shipman — Sophomore faces her elders for the first time, undefeated in four short sprint tries on the lawn.
  • 2. #9 Joya Real — Pace scenario might be right for this closer to make a big impact; never worse than second in four tries at the trip.
  • 3. #1 Jewel of a Cat — Speedster emptied out to finish behind two of these rivals last out in The Very One, but best efforts put her in the mix.
  • 4. #8 Aquinnah — The Very One show horse will look to sit off the speed and get first run under Trevor McCarthy.
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ELSEWHERE…

  • Virginia-bred Middleburg is 7-2 and the third choice in a 10-horse field in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap at Arlington Park.  The race is 1 3/16 miles on the turf.  Middleburg, bred and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Firestone, recently has been second a nose in the Grade 2 Monmouth and third in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy.

Delaware Park handicapping by Doug McCoy.