Delaware Park 2018 horses to watch: September 3

by | Sep 3, 2018 | Breaking, DE Racing, Delaware, Racing

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

by Frank Vespe

Delaware Park has an eight-race Labor Day card on tap for Monday, September 3. The eighth and final race is for Arabians. Post time for the card is 1:15 p.m. Some horses to watch:

Race 6 – Allowance/optional claiming

  • Three-year-olds and up will go a mile 70 yards on the main track in a first-level allowance with an optional claiming tag of $16,000.
  • Here’s a trainer switch you don’t see every day: Todd Pletcher to Victor Carrasco, Jr. Pletcher had #4 Road to Damascus (7-2) at the beginning of his career, and the Pioneerof the Nile colt broke his maiden in his second start, at Tampa Bay Downs against maiden allowance foes. Pletcher liked what he saw enough to take a swing with this one in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes this past February; he was well up the track that day and has run just twice since, finishing fourth both times, most recently, in June, in a first allowance on the turf at Gulfstream Park. He’s been working well enough at Delaware since the barn switch, though with that switch, and making his first start in three months and just second since March, he might be one to take a wait-and-see approach with. Edwin Gonzalez will ride.
  • Selections: 5-2-6-4

Race 7 – Allowance/optional claiming

  • Fillies and mares three and up will go 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf in a money allowance with an optional claiming tag of $65,000.
  • #1 Bombshell (6-1) has made just two career starts on the green stuff — her last two — but both were solid. Two back she took an allowance here at Delaware Park and last out she was third, beaten just a neck, in a minor stake at Mountaineer. It certainly looks like she may have found a home here on the lawn, and in this race, she’ll make her third start off a four-month layoff, another positive angle. The Arnaud Delacour trainee has shown enough speed on the lawn that the shorter distance — her prior two tries were at a mile 70 — shouldn’t be an issue. Feargal Lynch will ride.
  • This is a pretty good field, but it’s nothing like the groups that #7 Party Boat (3-1) has been butting heads with. The Graham Motion trainee’s last 10 starts have all come in stakes company, four of them graded events. She owns a stake win and has placed in three of the graded races. She’ll make her second start off a freshening here and is dropping down from a Grade 3 contest. Jorge Vargas, Jr. will ride.
  • Selections: 7-1-5-9

 

 

ARABIAN WATCH

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

This maiden claiming event drew a field of seven, including two that look poised to get their maiden victory. Big Ben AA has three seconds and one third in four lifetime starts. That elusive victory seems to only be a matter of time. Perhaps leading rider Carol Cedeno can bring him home first in this one. Lapcos Lets Dance ran a good second in his first start. He is poised to win this one. Uptown Cruisedirector, a half-brother to multiple stakes-placed winner Throughleap, is making his first start in
almost three months for trainer Lynn Ashby. Fourth in his only start, he could make the top three. There is one first-time starter in the race, Fleet De Sand, who is a son of the hot stallion So Big Is Better.