Delaware Park horses to watch: June 28, 2018

by | Jun 28, 2018 | Breaking, DE Racing, Delaware, Racing

Off at Delaware Park. Photo © www.HoofprintsInc.com.

by Frank Vespe

Delaware Park has nine races on tap for its June 28 card, and the finale is for Arabians. Post time is 1:15 p.m. Here are some horses to watch:

Race 4 – Maiden special weight

  • Fillies and mares three and up will go five furlongs on the turf in this $34,000 contest.
  • #1 Sweet Apple Pie (6-1) began having recorded works last November but then had a three-month break beginning in early January. She picked it up again April 19 and while most of her works, including her last three, are pretty moderate, there is one fairly sharp move hiding back there on May 25: a half-mile breeze from the gate in 49 seconds that was the second-fastest of 15 on the day. The Michael Matz trainee is a daughter of top sire Union Rags out of the Dynaformer mare Bramley. She may well need more ground than is on offer today in this sprint, but she’s certainly bred to be a runner. Matz has named Feargal Lynch, who has been in the money with nine of 10 starters at Delaware, to ride.
  • Selections: 7-1-3

 

Race 8 – Allowance/optional claiming

  • Three-year-olds and up will go 1 1/8 miles on the turf in a third-level allowance with an optional claiming tag of $65,000.
  • #1 Ghost Hunter (8-1) provided trainer Jamie Ness with the first graded stakes win of his career last July in the G3 Arlington Handicap, that immediately following a win at Delaware. This eight-year-old Ghostzapper gelding hasn’t quite found the range this year, though, and is running figs a tick below his better efforts last year; last out, he ran evenly against rivals similar to today’s en route to a fourth-place finish. Daniel Centeno has the mount.
  • Here’s something you don’t see everyday: #2 Serjeant At Arms (5-2) was bred in India, where he began his career, winning several Group 2 races. He’s found the going a bit tougher in North America and is winless in three tries here. But his last wasn’t bad, a close-up fourth-place finish in the Cliff Hanger Stakes at Monmouth in which a pair of graded stakes winners ran one-two. An improved effort here would be no surprise. Trainer Graham Motion has named Feargal  Lynch to ride.
  • Selections: 6-2-1

ARABIAN WATCH

Arabian handicapping is provided by our friends at Arabian Finish Line.

The final race on Thursday is a competitive maiden event for 3-years-old and up going 6 furlongs. A field of 10 is set, including the entry of Andaka and Marsanne MHF from Mandolynn Hill Farm and trainer Simon Hobson. The pair raced fourth and second respectively in their last starts. One filly with a chance is Air Patron, who gets the winning jockey/trainer combo of Carol Cedeno and Jerenesto Torrez. Air Patron has finished second or third in three of six lifetime starts, but this will be her first race of 2018. Burn Notice MC ran fourth in both of his 2018 races, but today he is running on Lasix for the first time. We’ll see if that gives him the added punch needed for a top three finish. The only first time starter may well end up a winner. RB Super Duty comes from the powerhouse combination of owner Rosebrook Farm, jockey Keibar Coa and trainer Jerenesto Torrez. He is by T M Fred Texas, who sired maiden winner RB Texas Hold Em with the same connections.