PEACH BLOSSOM STAKES DRAWS A DOZEN

American Sailor
Street Lute took the Stormy Blues Stakes at Pimlico. Photo Jerry Dzierwinski.

Assuming she goes postward, Street Lute will try something – make that two somethings – entirely new in Wednesday’s $50,000 Peach Blossom Stakes for Delaware certified fillies and mares at Delaware Park.

The race is a 7 ½-furlong – that is, two turns – contest on the turf. Street Lute has never been two turns, and she’s never tried the turf before. While Street Lute has run well at seven furlongs, in her only start beyond, the one-mile Beyond the Wire, she faded to third.

On the other hand, she is a seven-time stakes winner and is coming off an absolutely scintillating performance when winning the $100,000 Stormy Blues Stakes at Pimlico last out. In that contest, she was unprepared at the start, fell far behind, and then mounted a sustained rally that saw her prevail by a half-length.

More good news for trainer Jerry Robb and owner Lucky 7 Stables: Street Lute’s sire, Street Magician, has had some notable success with grass runners. He’s the sire of turf stakes winners like So Street and A Great Time and other runners who moved up on the lawn.

Regular pilot Xavier Perez will do the honors. She’s 9-2 on the morning line and will leave from the 12-hole.

The 7-2 morning line favorite is Rising Bella (7-2). The Steve Klesaris trainee won a claiming event at Belmont Park last out and owns two turf wins. Top local pilot Carol Cedeno is up.

Other runners worth a look  include Mosalah (12-1), third in last fall’s Maryland Million Ladies on the Laurel Park turf; Kiss the Girl (5-1), a stakes winner on dirt who’s started only once on the lawn; and Buff’s in Love (20-1), who was five lengths behind the very good Caravel in The Very One May 14 at Pimlico.

LATEST NEWS