Delaware Park picks and horses to watch: June 24

Photo by HoofprintsInc.com.

Delaware Park has a 10-race card lined up for Wednesday, June 24. We’ve got Delaware Park picks and horses to watch:

Race 1 — Maiden special weight

• Maidens three-years-old and up will go six furlongs on the main track.
• Lael Stable dropped a pretty penny on #1 Jeopardy James (5-1) — $585,000 to be exact — and why not? The sophomore Speightstown colt is a full brother to Grade 1 winner Lighthouse Bay. His two tries to date are just OK, but he’s been firing bullets in the morning in preparation for his first start since September, and trainer Arnaud Delacour knows how to get ’em ready off the bench. Give him another crack.
• He’s been third in both starts, but #2 Ego Man (7-2) has kept pretty good company along the way. Last out runner-up Quixotic returned to win a New York maiden special, and two-back winner Monday Morning Qb subsequently won the Heft Stakes. This one should find the going here a bit easier than in his last, though this is no easy spot.
• The well-named #11 Slugger (6-1) is certainly bred to be a runner. He’s by prolific sire (and Preakness winner) Bernardini and out of a Street Sense mare, Sweet Swingin, who was graded stakes-placed. He’s a Godolphin horse trained by Michael Stidham, and Stidham’s had success with first-timers.

Race 3 — Allowance/optional claiming

• Three-year-olds and up will go six furlongs on the main track in a second-level allowance with an optional claiming tag of $25,000.
• Coming out of the compact Henry Walters barn, #3 Tommy Shelby (6-1) was stakes-placed twice as a juvenile, including a runner-up try here in the First State Dash (behind Golden Candy, who’s also here). He’s been worse than third just once in seven starts. This’ll be his first time out since December, but he’s been working well and retains rider Pimentel.
• The favorite in here, #8 Releasethethunder (2-1), could be tough. He’s run back-to-back credible races against rugged company, first finishing third in the Decathlon Stakes at MTH behind two-time stakes winner First Deal and more recently a close-up fifth in an allowance at Keeneland. This one makes his first start since October here, and trainer Clement has had good success at Delaware the last couple of years.

WAGERS

• Race 1, $2 double: 1, 2, 11 w/ 1, 4, 5 ($18)
• Race 1, 50-cent Pick 3: 1, 2, 8, 11 w/ 1, 4, 5 w/ 1, 5, 8 ($18)
• Good luck!

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