Delaware Park 2019 horses to watch: August 17

Photo by HoofprintsInc.com.

Delaware Park has an nine-race card on tap for Saturday, August 17, and the finale is for Arabians. Some horses to watch:

Race 4 – Claiming

• Three-year-olds and up that have never won two races will go six furlongs on the main track in a $6,250 claiming race.
• In this type of field, look for horses that haven’t failed repeatedly at the level. The lightly raced gelding #3 Anxious (8-1) looks competitive in this never-won-two event, especially considering that the morning line favorite, #5 Tapitontheside (5-2) has one win in 36 outings and is 0-for-12 this year.  Parx-based trainer John McCaslin is shipping three-year-old Anxious to Delaware for this race.
• Selections: 3-5-4-8

Race 6 – Maiden claiming

• Maiden fillies and mares three and up will go 1 mile 70 yards on the turf at the $12,500 claiming level.
• Another drop in class should help three year-old filly #6 Go Venezuela Go (5-1) break her maiden today. Her last two Beyer speed figures in tougher company are above the winning par. Trainer Bruno Tessoro has a 20% strike rate on the turf with a positive ROI of $2.30. Lucas Berticelli will ride.
  
• Selections: 6-2-4-5

Arabian Watch

Thanks to Stephanie Ruff and Arabian Finish Line for giving us insights to the Arabian racing at Delaware Park.

The Arabian race features a return to the turf for the first time in years. The Delaware Park Arabian Turf Classic is slated for 1 1/8 miles. It’s difficult to know what horses will take to the surface, but distance runners such as Quick And Rich, Madjikman and Mizzdora have a shot at a price. The talented Dance With Me BW certainly deserves heavy consideration as she has won or placed in all six of her starts this year. Unless she hates the surface, she should be right there. Easter Man, while certainly talented enough to win here, is perhaps going a bit longer than his best distance. Still, he is a multiple champion and a multiple grade 1 winner so he could be right there.

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