Delaware Park horses to watch: September 6

by The Biz | Sep 6, 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 Wednesday afternoon, all for Thoroughbreds. With plenty of rain in the mid-Atlantic, the track has taken races off the turf, and the main track is listed as good by Equibase. Post time is 1:15 p.m. Some horses to watch:

The fifth is a five-furlong sprint at the $15,000 claiming level, and although the race has come off the turf, it has, for the most part, held together, with eight of 11 entrants remaining in it. Anna May Our Queen (6-1) has run competitively against similar on both turf and dirt, and last out was an OK fourth on the main track. Trainer Keisy Cartagena has been fairly judicious with the Dunkirk mare’s starts, and this will be her first try since July 30. Also of slight concern is her 0-for-3 record on off tracks. Victor Carrasco will ride. Pira (10-1), from the Cathy Denelsbeck barn, is winless on a fast dirt track but has won one of her two off-track tries and last out was fourth in an allowance test at Timonium. Jackie Davis is up.
The seventh is a $34,000 maiden special weight that’s come off the turf and will be run at 1 mile 70 yards on the main track. The horse here with the pedigree to be a star is first starter Well Humored (8-1) from the Arnaud Delacour barn. The Distorted Humor filly is a half to Grade 1 winnner American Patriot and full to up-and-comer Muqtaser. She’s been training forwardly and has fired a couple of bullets in her last four works. Daniel Centeno is up. Also of interest is the Ham Smith-trained Prevailing Party (15-1), especially at a price. She was seventh in her only try on the main track, but let’s not hold that too harshly against her: it was her career debut, she had some trouble during the race, and the top three finishers all won their next race. She’s showing two sharp works since her last start, and Edwin Gonzalez will ride.