Delaware Park 2018 horses to watch: October 6

by | Oct 6, 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 Saturday, October 6. Post time for the card is 1:15 p.m. Though the card has been taken off the turf, here are some horses to watch:

Race 2 – Maiden claiming

  • Two-year-old maidens will go a mile on the main track in a race originally scheduled for the turf at the $25,000 claiming level.
  • Trainer Mike Stidham apparently isn’t all that enthralled with what he’s seen in the mornings from his first-time starter, #5 Witness (6-1). The Graydar gelding is certainly bred for bigger things than this first race spot would suggest; he’s out of the Gulch mare May Night and is a half-brother to three winners, including two stakes winners. One of those, Red Rifle, won multiple graded stakes en route to banking more than $1 million in his career. This guy has been training steadily enough towards this spot and will have Brian Pedroza in the irons.
  • Selections: 6-5-7

 

Race 7 – Maiden claiming

  • Three-year-olds and up will go 1 1/16 miles on the main track at the $20,000 claiming level in a race originally scheduled for the turf.
  • Remember Hero of Order? No? Can’t say we’re surprised. The son of Sharp Humor upset the 2012 Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at the preposterous odds of 109-1, which spurred oddball trainer Gennadi Dorochenko to run him back 13 days later in the Blue Grass at Keeneland, in which he finished 13th. In fact, he never won another race, so of course, Dorochenko now stands him at stud; his leading earner, Hero’s Hope, has made a bit over $17,000 in six career starts. Another of his offspring, #1 Hero of Fire (10-1), will give it a go here. He’s winless in seven career tries, though he has finished second three times, including in his last two. Vince Halliday, who has two wins in his last 184 starts, will ride.
  • Talk about a discount: #11 Fresh Wine (20-1) cost $375,000 as a yearling but, now six, can be yours for the low, low price of $20,000. The son of Pulpit is out of the Easy Goer mare Fun Crowd. This guy hasn’t shown much on the grass but has never raced on the main track. He was off for almost three years, from September 2015 to this July, and has been 10th and seventh in two starts back. Could the main track help him? Sure — his best sibling, Funny Moon, by Malibu Moon, was a Grade 1 winner on dirt. Ryan Powell will ride for Monti Sims.
  • Selections: 2-1-11-4

 

ARABIAN WATCH

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

No Arabian race today.