DELAWARE PARK PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: SEPT. 9

Elate
Elate was much the best in the 2019 Delaware Handicap. Photo by Allison Janezic.

Delaware Park has an 8-race card on tap for this Wednesday afternoon. Post time for the opener is 1:15 p.m., and we’ve got Delaware Park picks.

How’d we do last time at Delaware Park?

RACE NUMBERHORSESCOMMENTS
Race 12, 5, 6A bunch of hard-hitting veterans square off in the lid-lifter, an $8,000 starter allowance. #2 Candy Crushem (8-5) makes his first start in the Castellano barn after competing with some success against similar at Gulfstream. The late-running sort will need a pace to run at, and may not get it, which is his challenge here, but he certainly arrives in good form… The figs are a little light, but the results say that #5 All Good Times (5-1) fits here. Last time out he was a dominant winner against $5k starters, and two back just missed at this level after a long battle with the winner, and they were well clear of the rest. This one might be your major speed player, unless they decide to try to put #6 V. I. P. Code (2-1) on the lead. He beat similar over the strip three back, and though he did not win as fave last out at LRL, they ran that contest in racehorse time: 1:21 4/5 for seven-eighths…
Race 22, 5, 7From hard-hitting veterans to low-level maidens, and it’s not the most inspiring group of all time, which is one reason to use a first-timer in the mix: #2 Belly Flop (4-1) comes from the Dale Capuano barn, which is 7-for-33 when debuting horses in maiden claiming company. The works aren’t terrible, and he’s got three at five furlongs and should be pretty fit… Not a bad effort last time for #5 Extravagant Miss (3-1), who won an early speed duel but just tired late…#7 Walk It Out Nanny (8-1) had a promising debut for twice the price and finds the lowest level here in her second with Lasix…
Race 31, 5, 6, 7Trainer Jose Camejo takes the blinks off and makes a second attempt here to get #1 Guitar Tribute (5-1) on the grass. The gelding’s dirt form isn’t awful, and there’s reason to think he might like the turf: his dam was stakes-placed on the green stuff, and the only one of his sibs to turf won… #5 Palace Kitten (8-1) graduated two back, and while his follow-up was a mess, that was on the main track. Two from his maiden score won next out, and back on the lawn, he can be a factor in here… Some of the fields at Colonial Downs can be a bit hit-or-miss, but the one #6 Felix the Fox (3-1) saw two back was legit: winner Farmington Road had run in the G1 Belmont in his prior start, and the runner-up returned to win. This one’s run lots of good races, though he doesn’t win much… Not too many better-named horses than #7 Fortuity (2-1), whose lone career win came when the winner in his debut was DQed for a medication positive. Trainer Mike Stidham’s given this one a bit of time and takes the blinks off, and this guy’s last work suggests he’s sitting on go.
WAGERING…A 50-cent Pick 3 will set you back $18.00.

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