Delaware Park horses to watch: June 25, 2018

by | Jun 25, 2018 | Breaking, DE Racing, Delaware, Racing

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

by Frank Vespe

Delaware Park has an eight-race card on tap Monday, with the finale for Arabians. Post time is 1:15 p.m. Horses to watch:

Race 5 – Allowance/optional claiming

  • Three-year-olds and up will go 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf in a first-level allowance with an optional claiming tag of $16,000.
  • #6 Indebted (6-1) had a rough outing last out when his race was rained off onto the main track, but let’s not judge that too harshly: it was his first career try on the main track. That might well have been a pretty useful 2018 debut, and the Malibu Moon gelding should improve back on the green stuff, on which he owns five career wins. He’s the only runner in here making a clear drop in class, and he should find this group a lot more manageable than he did the likes of River Deep and other second-level allowance sorts. Alex Cintron is up.
  • The two-back effort of #7 Astute Warrior (10-1) — in which he was beaten a nose against $16,000 starter allowance types — would probably get the money in this group. We’re inclined to draw a line through his last, when he broke in a tangle and never really could get involved. A cleaner break today that lets him find a comfortable mid-pack stalking spot could make a huge difference in the outcome. Angel Suarez is up.
  • He probably won’t draw in — he’ll need two scratches — but we’re curious to see the North American debut of #10 Elucidation (8-1). The Oasis Dream gelding has run all five of his races in Great Britain, his lone win coming at seven furlongs on the turf. He arrives here for connections better known for their steeplechase acumen — trainer Cyril Murphy and owner Irv Naylor — and presumably is headed in that direction. But Murphy has a 25 percent strike rate with horses making their North American debuts, and this runner is slated to get Lasix for the first time. Forest Boyce is named.
  • Selections: 6-7-5-10

ARABIAN WATCH

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

Race 8

Monday’s Arabian race is a maiden for 3-year-olds and up going 6 furlongs. Of the seven starters, five finished second or third in their last start. They are all ready for a win, but especially Mark Powell’s Foxy Roxy and Rosebrook Farm’s RB Texas Hold Em. Of course, prominent owner/breeder Joe and Betty Gillis have two in this race, Big Ben AA and Prince William AA. The lone first time starter comes from Scott Powell and Quarter Moon Ranch. His name is Genova Joe, and he is closely linebred to leading sire Burning Sand. He is by a Burning Sand son out of a Burning Sand daughter.