Delaware Park horses to watch: September 9

by | Sep 9, 2017 | Breaking, DE Racing, Delaware, Racing

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

by Frank Vespe

Delaware Park has an eight-race card teed up for Saturday with the finale for Arabians. Post time is 1:15 p.m. Some horses to watch:

  • In the sixth, a maiden special weight for two-year-old fillies going 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass, the morning line favorite — and a tepid fave indeed — is Queen Nekia (9-2), who ran a decent third on debut behind runaway winner Dynashe in an off-the-turf contest. But the runner we’re keeping an eye on is Madame Milan (6-1), an Arnaud Delacour trainee making her career debut. She’s superbly bred, a daughter of Bernardini out of the Carson City mare La Ville Rouge, and if that name rings a bell, it’s because La Ville Rouge is also the dam of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro and three other stakes winners. In fact, this is La Ville Rouge’s final foal, making Madame Milan the last of the Barbaro sibs to run. She’s been training well enough towards this one and fired a bullet three-furlong work September 5. Daniel Centeno will ride.
  • The eighth is a first-level allowance for three-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the main track with a small but interesting field. The favorite is likely to be Painter’s Rags (7-5), and why not? The Union Rags colt has been keeping better company than these, three back running third behind Battalion Runner, a runner who then was runner-up in the G2 Wood Memorial, and two back trailing next out stakes winner Hieroglyphics. But the horse we’re most curious about is Cedartown (8-1), the Mike Stidham-trained Candy Ride colt. A half-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Danzing Candy, Cedartown ran second in each of his first two starts. Last out, receiving Lasix for the first time and stretched out to two turns, also for the first time, he romped to a five-length win while ridden out against Monmouth maidens. Brian Pedroza is up.

ARABIAN WATCH

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

The last race of the day is a maiden claiming race at 1 mile for Arabian fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. For the most part, these fillies have been running in maiden races all season. They have yet to find the winner’s circle. The one exception is Desert Dew, a filly who was unplaced in her first start. She is bred to go a distance and should improve off her first start. RB Wicked Rich, also well-bred, has 2 thirds and could be in the top 3. She is from the stable of Ken Danyluk, who had a winner at Monmouth Park in Kao Maloan SWA on Monday.