Delaware Park horses to watch: August 30

by | Aug 30, 2017 | Breaking, DE Racing, Delaware, Racing

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

by Frank Vespe

There’s a nine-race card at Delaware Park, with the ninth a maiden event for Arabians. Unfortunately, Delaware is off the turf today, which has played havoc with a number of races; on the plus side, there is a $9,106 carryover in the Pick 5, which on Monday paid out more than $6,000 for a buck on four out of five winners. Post time is 1:15 p.m. Some horses to watch:

  • The eighth is a maiden special weight contest for fillies and mares three and up, and while it was originally scheduled for the turf, it will now be run on the main track at five furlongs. While a couple of these have acquitted themselves reasonbly well on the dirt — More to Adore (5-1) and Jimmy’s Legacy (8-1) foremost among them — the runner we’re most intrigued by is yet another from the powerful Arnaud Delacour barn. More’n Likely (8-1) was a $275,000 auction purchase at the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for owners Lael Stables. She’s by Blame out of the Hennessy mare More Hennessy, and she’s a half-sister to 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Hootenanny. She’s making her debut here for a trainer who wins often with firsters, and she has a lengthy string of works in preparation. Feargal Lynch, who’s won six of nine for Delacour in the last two months, will ride.
  • Taking a quick look back at Monday’s action: Trainer Larry Jones looks to have another promising two-year-old — or maybe two. Prince Lucky absolutely crushed a maiden special weight field Monday, winning the 5 1/2 furlong dirt sprint by almost six lengths while never asked for his best by rider Alex Cintron. It was the Corinithian colt’s first career start. Two races later, in another juvenile maiden event, Hidden Funds held off a game Lemonade Thursday, for trainer Arnaud Delacour. Pricey auction purchase Believe in Royalty — a $900,000 purchase by Tapit out of Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can — checked in third after being floated out wide — “into the parking lot,” said track announcer John Curran — on the first turn. Believe in Royalty is trained by Jones.

ARABIAN WATCH

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

The Arabian race today is a 6 furlong maiden special weight for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. It could be the day when Royally Bred, who has one second and one third in two starts, gets the win she’s been looking for. There is also Pacific Winds, who has a third in her only start. The rest of the field has been mostly finishing out of the top 3. There is one first time starter here – Desert Dew – a well-bred filly bred and owned by Mohammad A El Said. She is trained by Simon Hobson who has had several maiden winners the last couple of weeks.