Delaware Park Racing Notebook 2018: Vol. 20
Elate won the G2 Delaware Handicap. 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
- SUNMAN – Caused all sorts of trouble when DQed from last after bumping a rival in the stretch, who then fell. But note that when straightened away, this one closed sharply to run down a rival who had slipped through along the rail to snatch the lead in a hotly contested starter optional allowance claiming route. Shows a lot of grit for a young horse.
- DOODLE HOPPER – This classy veteran rallied up the rail to take his 11th career win while jumping up in class in his first start for sharp horseman Rigattieri, covering the six furlongs in 1:10.27. A hard-knocking campaigner like this one in shrewd hands could well come right back and win his next.
- ENTHRALL – Came from far back through a middle quarter of :23 3/5 behind an impressive front-running winner in the Winter Melody Stakes. If this one catches a race with some early speed in it, she will be dangerous.
- MAGNIFIER – Looked to relish the wet fast surface last start to lead wire-to-wire in 1:10.41 and looks to be in peak form right now.
CLOCKERS’ CORNER
- QUICK LEARNER – This PA-bred trained by Jonathan Sheppard knocked out a quick half mile in :47.20 on October 8, the best of six runners working that distance. Fourth in his last at Presque Isle, this one is slated to race in allowance company at Penn National October 18.
- DUFF – Another PA-bred who ran second at Laurel most recently smoked five furlongs in :59.80 on October 9 and is entered in Wednesday’s Buddy Delp Memorial S. for trainer Ron Potts.
- FASHION FAUX PAS – This unraced maiden continues to impress in the a.m. while working with established runners of the Delacour stable. Last move was a :47.80 breeze from gate in company with Nevisian Sunset on October 9.
- SHADESOFBRILLIANCE – This New York bred worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 October 10 and is entered in a Belmont Park maiden race October 18.
JOCKEYS AND TRAINERS
As has been the case most of the meet, Angel Suarez and Carol Cedeno had big weeks for the period ending October 15.
Suarez won six races from 25 mounts and was second on six other horses, thus finishing first or second in almost half his rides from 10/10 to 10/15. Cedeno had five winners from 20 starters and continues to hold a substantial lead in the rider’s race with 97 wins for the meeting, 25 more than Suarez. Trevor McCarthy continues to ride in good form and won with four of the six horses he rode at Delaware Park last week, while hot apprentice Reylu Gutierrez had three wins from five starters.
In our jockey rankings (at right), which combine wins, win percentage, earnings per start, and $2 wagering return on investment into a single metric, Cedeno continues to hold a clear lead, while Suarez is fourth. Others in the top five include Feargal Lynch, who leads the colony in earnings per start; Daniel Centeno, who is in the top seven in all four categories; and Augusto Marin, whose $2.78 ROI is the highest at the meeting.
RANK | JOCKEY | TOTAL POINTS | WINS | WIN PCT. | EARNINGS/START | $2 ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedeno Carol | 305.85 | 97 | 24.49% | $4,038.24 | $1.58 |
| 2 | Lynch Feargal | 265.08 | 12 | 24.00% | $7,441.14 | $1.66 |
| 3 | Centeno Daniel | 256.62 | 25 | 23.36% | $5,783.55 | $1.74 |
| 4 | Suarez Angel | 251.90 | 72 | 19.41% | $3,372.38 | $1.59 |
| 5 | Marin Augusto A | 239.79 | 26 | 18.31% | $3,127.96 | $2.78 |
| 6 | Carrasco Victor R | 233.84 | 8 | 25.81% | $6,294.35 | $1.14 |
| 7 | Rosado Johan | 230.78 | 18 | 20.93% | $4,242.67 | $2.06 |
| 8 | Pedroza Brian | 220.32 | 16 | 22.86% | $4,882.50 | $1.38 |
| 9 | Torres Jomar | 218.72 | 13 | 19.70% | $5,958.14 | $1.36 |
| 10 | Rose Jeremy | 216.29 | 11 | 16.92% | $4,375.03 | $2.24 |
| 11 | Hamilton Weston | 214.35 | 12 | 19.05% | $5,308.00 | $1.58 |
| 12 | Gutierrez Reylu | 209.16 | 10 | 25.64% | $3,762.95 | $1.36 |
| 13 | Toledo Jevian | 202.92 | 7 | 16.28% | $4,622.44 | $1.96 |
| 14 | Mccarthy Trevor | 193.64 | 27 | 17.42% | $4,156.52 | $1.18 |
| 15 | Cintron Alex | 186.44 | 19 | 14.29% | $4,709.79 | $1.34 |
| 16 | Pino Mario G | 184.19 | 15 | 14.02% | $4,498.22 | $1.50 |
| 17 | Garcia Jose Angel | 181.22 | 31 | 13.08% | $2,674.14 | $1.74 |
| 18 | Coa Keiber J | 170.65 | 39 | 12.38% | $2,587.09 | $1.33 |
| 19 | Vargas Jr Jorge A | 169.28 | 10 | 13.70% | $4,667.42 | $1.20 |
| 20 | Panell Dyn | 145.00 | 8 | 12.12% | $2,398.11 | $1.60 |
| 21 | Montanez Rosario | 137.17 | 4 | 12.90% | $2,646.29 | $1.32 |
| 22 | Ortega Jomar | 137.10 | 14 | 12.61% | $1,768.20 | $1.39 |
| 23 | Acosta J D | 135.48 | 4 | 11.43% | $3,320.29 | $1.18 |
| 24 | Betancourt Jose R | 121.43 | 12 | 8.45% | $1,405.08 | $1.60 |
| 25 | Uske Shannon | 119.17 | 13 | 10.00% | $1,614.35 | $1.26 |
| 26 | Paz Robert | 107.90 | 6 | 7.32% | $1,224.27 | $1.58 |
| 27 | Quiles Antonio | 96.02 | 10 | 10.00% | $1,862.39 | $0.61 |
| 28 | Powell Ryan | 86.04 | 4 | 6.35% | $1,521.46 | $1.02 |
| 29 | Rodriguez Pablo | 81.90 | 11 | 7.69% | $1,533.18 | $0.56 |
| 30 | Lara Ezequiel | 77.51 | 3 | 5.00% | $1,365.75 | $1.02 |
| 31 | Halliday Vince | 52.30 | 1 | 1.89% | $754.62 | $0.94 |
RANK | TRAINER | TOTAL POINTS | WINS | WIN PCT. | EARNINGS/START | $2 ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonzalez Claudio A | 297.51 | 17 | 33.33% | $8,709 | $2.14 |
| 2 | Delacour Arnaud | 286.92 | 14 | 31.82% | $7,490 | $2.60 |
| 3 | Pecoraro Anthony | 281.63 | 24 | 30.77% | $5,876 | $2.30 |
| 4 | Ness Jamie | 262.53 | 39 | 25.83% | $4,555 | $1.38 |
| 5 | Navarro Jorge | 262.30 | 15 | 39.47% | $6,770 | $1.42 |
| 6 | Ashby Lynn A | 259.82 | 19 | 32.20% | $6,581 | $1.66 |
| 7 | Capuano Dale | 250.09 | 10 | 25.64% | $7,330 | $2.32 |
| 8 | Torrez Jerenesto | 229.81 | 24 | 30.00% | $4,010 | $1.42 |
| 9 | Capuano Gary | 228.04 | 12 | 23.08% | $6,943 | $1.82 |
| 10 | Gorham Michael E | 213.75 | 20 | 20.20% | $3,811 | $2.08 |
| 11 | Magee Kieron | 193.54 | 11 | 28.21% | $4,444 | $1.32 |
| 12 | Powell Scott | 190.44 | 8 | 21.05% | $2,633 | $2.66 |
| 13 | Stidham Michael | 189.54 | 7 | 21.88% | $5,650 | $1.58 |
| 14 | Motion H Graham | 185.92 | 10 | 18.18% | $6,045 | $1.38 |
| 15 | McMahon Hugh I | 177.72 | 9 | 18.37% | $3,534 | $2.08 |
| 16 | Bennett Gerald S | 177.22 | 20 | 15.63% | $3,110 | $1.56 |
| 17 | Proctor Thomas F | 172.21 | 8 | 18.18% | $6,033 | $1.12 |
| 18 | Carrasco Jr Victor | 169.39 | 12 | 20.00% | $2,853 | $1.70 |
| 19 | Rigattieri John | 167.79 | 9 | 19.15% | $3,515 | $1.72 |
| 20 | Lake Scott A | 155.40 | 20 | 15.87% | $2,342 | $1.14 |
| 21 | Wasiluk Jr Peter | 148.94 | 8 | 15.09% | $2,369 | $1.94 |
| 22 | Diaz Jorge | 148.50 | 5 | 8.33% | $1,269 | $3.08 |
| 23 | Rubley Kelly | 147.60 | 5 | 16.13% | $4,334 | $1.36 |
| 24 | Simoff Andrew L | 144.59 | 11 | 18.97% | $3,181 | $0.98 |
| 25 | Ritchey Timothy F | 143.94 | 7 | 17.95% | $4,242 | $0.98 |
| 26 | Raymond Robert A | 132.98 | 6 | 12.00% | $2,052 | $1.96 |
| 27 | Rodriguez Jose S | 130.65 | 5 | 13.51% | $2,191 | $1.80 |
| 28 | Potts Wayne | 130.03 | 14 | 12.50% | $2,613 | $1.00 |
| 29 | Epley Jr Steve | 114.62 | 5 | 12.50% | $2,998 | $1.10 |
| 30 | Cronk Samuel F | 111.49 | 5 | 10.42% | $2,110 | $1.48 |
| 31 | Galvan Baltazar | 110.60 | 8 | 8.89% | $2,209 | $1.30 |
| 32 | Hobson Simon | 103.05 | 7 | 10.29% | $1,804 | $1.18 |
| 33 | Neilson Wallace C | 101.14 | 7 | 10.77% | $1,394 | $1.23 |
| 34 | Cruz Jesus | 98.77 | 7 | 10.00% | $2,514 | $0.82 |
| 35 | Stauffer Sr Arthur F | 86.85 | 5 | 6.25% | $1,279 | $1.34 |
| 36 | Sienkewicz William M | 71.66 | 3 | 9.68% | $1,796 | $0.58 |
| 37 | Powell Mark K | 68.08 | 5 | 7.69% | $1,193 | $0.68 |
| 38 | Gaffney Hubert | 65.25 | 4 | 6.25% | $1,375 | $0.72 |
Jamie Ness continues to roll toward another training title, winning with three of the six runners he sent to the post. Veteran John Rigattieri started only three horses last week but won with two of them, and the New England native continues to get the absolute most from his stock. Michael Catalano was two-for-two as was Jason Servis, perhaps the best “under the radar” trainer in the business.
Ness now has 39 wins at the meeting, 15 more than Anthony Pecoraro and Arabian power Jerenesto Torrez. Scott Lake, Mike Gorham and Gerald Bennett have 20 victories apiece.
In our trainer rankings (at left), Ness is fourth on a crowded leaderboard on which the top seven have between 250 and 300 points. Claudio Gonzalez, who leads the colony in earnings per start and is second in win percentage, tops the leaderboard. Arnaud Delacour, who is in the top three in win percentage, earnings per start, and wagering ROI, is close behind Gonzalez. They’re followed by Pecoraro, Ness, and Jorge Navarro, whose 39 percent strike rate leads the meet.
TRACK BIAS REPORT
Power of Snunner won the 2017 Obeah at Delaware Park. Photo by Kathleen O’Leary.
- 10/10 – The track played reasonably fair for this mid-week program with the inside appearing to be a little tighter than usual.
- 10/11 – This surface was speed-favoring for Thursday’s card.
- 10/13 – The track played fair with the inside being a bit dull for Saturday’s program.
- 10/15 – Rains left the track wet fast and sealed, and as is usually the case when there is water in the strip, the track was extremely fast and speed-favoring.
