Delaware Park Racing Notebook 2018: Vol. 7
Red Ruby won the G3 Delaware Oaks. Photo by Allison Janezic.
by Doug McCoy
Every week during the Delaware Park racing season, The Racing Biz will publish The Delaware Park Racing Notebook. This page is designed to give helpful information to both horseplayers and horsemen about the racing picture at Delaware Park from the past week.
In the notebook, you’ll find:
- “Horses to watch” section highlighting both horses who have shown promise those who may have had poor “trips” in their last starts.
- “Clocker’s Corner” where track clockers will point out horses who have worked in noteworthy fashion during the past week.
- Track tendencies or biases during the week’s races. While it would be great if every race track was completely fair and even and an equal number of speed horses, stalkers, and closers won each day, observant handicappers know this just isn’t the case. Every track’s tendencies and biases (favored styles) change and vary, often from one racing program to the next due to any number of factors, most notably weather. While these changes are often minor, there are also days where a certain type of horse (like a speed horse) has a decided advantage, and there also days where one portion of the racing strip is a better spot to race over (like the inside) than another.
- Leading trainers and jocks and who’s been hot during the last week.
HORSES TO WATCH
- UNTAMED DOMAIN – The 6-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Kent got one of the worst trips this observer has seen in a long time. By the time he was impeded in the stretch, the Graham Motion star had already been dead-stopped twice along the rail. Look for him to redeem himself next start, perhaps in a stake at Saratoga (and possibly with a different rider).
- CARRICK – Took up inside early then rider fell back on him in the first turn, recovered to make a move out of the final turn before his early troubles caught up to him. A clean trip makes this one tough next start.
- IT’S THE JOURNEY – Stumbled after the start then made two different moves in a rapidly run sprint stake. Deserves another chance.
- STALLWALKIN’ DUDE – Last-to-first (or at least virtually even terms with the leader) move looked to take too much out of this one, and he weakened in the drive of a tough sprint stake. Better early placement next out will make this one formidable.
CLOCKERS’ CORNER
- HE’LL DO – Unraced two-year-old colt by Mark Valeski worked a half in :47.20 out of the gate on 07/10 and doesn’t look to be too far from making his debut.
- SHE’S DIVINE – Unraced two-year-old filly, spotlighted earlier here, ripped off a black-letter move of :46.60 from the gate for a half-mile July 10 and continues to train impressively.
- HONOR THE FLEET – Grade 3-placed Louis Albertrani trainee who hasn’t raced since last November looks close to returning to action with a very fast five furlong drill of :59.60 on July 10, fastest of five at the distance.
JOCKEYS AND TRAINERS
It’s hard to find any jockey in the Mid-Atlantic region who’s riding any better than Carol Cedeno right now. The defending champion at Delaware Park highlighted a huge week with a record-breaking seven-win day last Wednesday. The veteran won with 10 of the 23 mounts she rode for a blistering 43 percent win percentage. The monster week raised her win total for the meeting to 35, 14 ahead of Angel Suarez. It also elevated her from fifth to second in our alternative rankings (at right), which combine wins, win percentage, earnings per start, and $2 wagering return on investment into a single number.
Suarez had another solid week with three wins while Trevor McCarthy, Alex Cintron, Daniel Centeno, Jose L.Ortiz, Sharon Uske, and Jairo Rendon each had a pair of wins.
Centeno leads the alternative standings with 307.05 points. That gives him a roughly 17-point edge on Cedeno. Centeno is second in the colony in win percentage and earnings per start and has a positive wagering ROI. Also of note, veteran Mario Pino is making the most of his return home and is fifth in the alternative standings (249.17 points). Brian Pedroza leads the colony in win percentage, scoring 30 percent of the time, while Jomar Torres is tops with earnings-per-start of more than $9,000, in large measure a result of Sneaky Betty sneaking into second in the $750,000 Delaware Handicap.
RANK | JOCKEY | TOTAL POINTS | WINS | WIN PCT. | EARNINGS/START | $2 ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centeno Daniel | 307.05 | 13 | 27.66% | $8,032.23 | $2.04 |
| 2 | Cedeno Carol | 290.41 | 35 | 23.18% | $3,861.66 | $1.61 |
| 3 | Pedroza Brian | 266.91 | 6 | 30.00% | $4,864.25 | $2.20 |
| 4 | Rosado Johan | 253.43 | 12 | 24.00% | $3,662.90 | $2.26 |
| 5 | Pino Mario G | 249.17 | 8 | 19.51% | $7,096.95 | $1.90 |
| 6 | Torres Jomar | 235.85 | 6 | 19.35% | $9,070.00 | $1.24 |
| 7 | Lynch Feargal | 218.26 | 6 | 20.00% | $7,755.40 | $1.12 |
| 8 | Ortega Jomar | 216.85 | 7 | 22.58% | $2,151.94 | $2.24 |
| 9 | Marin Augusto A | 203.28 | 7 | 15.56% | $2,964.44 | $2.26 |
| 10 | Cintron Alex | 197.04 | 11 | 16.67% | $4,670.71 | $1.34 |
| 11 | Suarez Angel | 196.05 | 21 | 17.07% | $2,586.05 | $1.16 |
| 12 | Ruiz Jorge | 192.16 | 2 | 16.67% | $3,006.25 | $2.24 |
| 13 | Coa Keiber J | 188.18 | 14 | 13.86% | $2,613.91 | $1.67 |
| 14 | Uske Shannon | 186.72 | 6 | 13.95% | $2,091.74 | $2.29 |
| 15 | Toledo Jevian | 174.27 | 2 | 11.11% | $4,714.72 | $1.82 |
| 16 | Swan Kirsten | 159.14 | 3 | 21.43% | $2,829.64 | $1.10 |
| 17 | Panell Dyn | 152.65 | 3 | 11.11% | $2,177.96 | $1.90 |
| 18 | Vargas Jr Jorge A | 149.49 | 3 | 9.38% | $4,477.66 | $1.38 |
| 19 | Russell Sheldon | 126.49 | 2 | 13.33% | $4,466.00 | $0.62 |
| 20 | Mccarthy Trevor | 125.10 | 6 | 9.23% | $3,830.46 | $0.80 |
| 21 | Hamilton Weston | 112.36 | 1 | 5.56% | $3,337.72 | $1.24 |
| 22 | Garcia Jose Angel | 107.00 | 6 | 9.23% | $1,618.80 | $0.94 |
| 23 | Quiles Antonio | 93.88 | 4 | 9.52% | $1,586.60 | $0.76 |
| 24 | Betancourt Jose R | 91.54 | 5 | 8.33% | $1,232.28 | $0.82 |
| 25 | Rodriguez Pablo | 86.20 | 4 | 9.30% | $2,033.49 | $0.49 |
| 26 | Powell Ryan | 77.76 | 1 | 6.25% | $1,633.88 | $0.83 |
| 27 | Paz Robert | 72.97 | 2 | 6.25% | $1,237.97 | $0.75 |
| 28 | Rose Jeremy | 53.33 | 1 | 4.76% | $2,662.62 | $0.12 |
| 29 | Lara Ezequiel | 48.60 | 2 | 4.08% | $1,287.04 | $0.35 |
RANK | TRAINER | TOTAL POINTS | WINS | WIN PCT. | EARNINGS/START | $2 ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonzalez Claudio A | 309.03 | 8 | 44.44% | $16,861 | $2.68 |
| 2 | Navarro Jorge | 238.99 | 7 | 53.85% | $6,298 | $1.94 |
| 3 | Pecoraro Anthony | 235.76 | 9 | 36.00% | $6,273 | $2.54 |
| 4 | Ashby Lynn A | 207.04 | 7 | 29.17% | $8,902 | $1.87 |
| 5 | Tsirigotis Jr James | 204.90 | 4 | 28.57% | $3,119 | $4.48 |
| 6 | Lake Scott A | 194.01 | 12 | 22.22% | $2,570 | $1.68 |
| 7 | Capuano Gary | 190.79 | 4 | 23.53% | $8,568 | $2.82 |
| 8 | Delacour Arnaud | 188.41 | 6 | 24.00% | $6,262 | $2.54 |
| 9 | Motion H Graham | 186.45 | 6 | 22.22% | $7,768 | $2.20 |
| 10 | Simoff Andrew L | 184.17 | 5 | 38.46% | $4,306 | $2.04 |
| 11 | Carrasco Jr Victor | 181.72 | 7 | 26.92% | $3,341 | $2.40 |
| 12 | Ness Jamie | 180.77 | 11 | 22.45% | $3,477 | $1.20 |
| 13 | Neilson Wallace C | 170.03 | 6 | 28.57% | $2,280 | $2.39 |
| 14 | Jacobson David | 168.19 | 5 | 33.33% | $5,175 | $1.52 |
| 15 | Wasiluk Jr Peter | 156.40 | 3 | 17.65% | $2,780 | $3.68 |
| 16 | Gorham Michael E | 153.53 | 5 | 15.15% | $3,956 | $2.70 |
| 17 | Torrez Jerenesto | 137.78 | 6 | 26.09% | $3,019 | $0.96 |
| 18 | Powell Scott | 137.28 | 3 | 21.43% | $2,135 | $2.68 |
| 19 | McMahon Hugh I | 129.80 | 2 | 16.67% | $2,641 | $2.98 |
| 20 | Potts Wayne | 129.73 | 8 | 15.69% | $2,560 | $0.84 |
| 21 | Cronk Samuel F | 122.25 | 3 | 17.65% | $2,666 | $2.18 |
| 22 | Bennett Gerald S | 114.12 | 6 | 14.29% | $3,402 | $0.78 |
| 23 | Galvan Baltazar | 92.25 | 4 | 9.09% | $2,345 | $1.26 |
| 24 | Proctor Thomas F | 90.84 | 3 | 11.11% | $5,213 | $0.64 |
| 25 | Hobson Simon | 89.74 | 3 | 14.29% | $2,001 | $1.18 |
| 26 | Rubley Kelly | 88.03 | 2 | 12.50% | $4,129 | $1.06 |
| 27 | Powell Mark K | 64.14 | 3 | 8.33% | $1,356 | $0.70 |
| 28 | Sienkewicz William M | 45.39 | 1 | 8.33% | $1,380 | $0.60 |
| 29 | Rodriguez Jose S | 42.59 | 1 | 7.14% | $1,733 | $0.48 |
| 30 | Epley Jr Steve | 40.61 | 1 | 6.25% | $2,506 | $0.26 |
Scott Lake, Jorge Navarro and Aranud Delacour all sent out three winners last week. Arabian trainer Jerenesto Torrez, Wayne Potts, Patrick McBurney, and Tim Kreiser each had two winners. McBurney lit up the board on DelCap day as both horses he sent out won, including the upset winner of the Kent Stakes, and his winners averaged a whopping $40.20.
Claudio Gonzalez maintains the lead in our alternative standings (at left). His 44 percent strike rate is good for second in the colony, and his earnings-per-start — more than $16,000, in part a result of Sneaky Betty’s runner-up effort in the DelCap — are the track’s highest. His runners are also returning a gaudy $2.68 for each $2 win wager placed on them.
Scott Lake leads the colony in wins with 12 and, with a solid 22 percent strike rate, is in sixth in our rankings. Jorge Navarro — seven-for-13 at the track — is just ahead of Anthony Pecoraro, who has nine wins and a fancy 36 percent strike rate of his own.
TRACK BIAS REPORT
Power of Snunner won the 2017 Obeah at Delaware Park. Photo by Kathleen O’Leary.
- 07/09 – The strip raced reasonably fair for the Monday program with runners racing in the middle of the surface on out seeming to travel the best.
- 07/11 – The track played a little faster and more speed-conducive on Wednesday.
- 07/12 – The surface was reasonably fair with both speed types and stalker/closers winning races.
- 07/14 – Saturday’s DelCap day found the track to again be reasonably fair, and unlike some DelCap days in the past, the surface wasn’t lightning fast or speed-favoring. Instead, the strip was actually a touch dull, and as has been the case most of the meet, the rail was also dull and not the place to be.
