After posting a dominating victory in the $50,000 Dover Stakes, Lynn Ashby and William Gotwals’ Re Markably will be seeking the Delaware bred or certified double when he faces six rivals in the $100,000 First State Dash at Delaware Park September 11.

The six-furlong stake for 2-year-olds is named after the state nickname. Delaware was the first of the 13 original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787.

“He is a chilled dude,” said trainer Lynn Ashby. “After a race or a breeze, he just acts like he did nothing. But with him, you really have to read him because he is so laid back. He is not one to jump around or get overly excited with anything. We know he is fit, so we are just aiming to keep him happy. It is so much fun this time of year going into these Delaware Certified stakes, and it is so nice to have a baby with potential that is developing nicely. He had a great breeze the other day (Sept. 2), so it seems like we are on the same path as we were before he won the Dover Stakes. We are ready.”

Re Markably sports a career record of two wins and a third from three starts. In his most recent, the Maryland-bred posted a 5 ½-length triumph in the Delaware bred or certified restricted 5 ½-furlong $50,000 Dover Stakes at Delaware Park on August 14. Previously, the son of Hoppertunity finished third in the Virginia restricted $150,000 Hickory Tree Stakes at Colonial Downs on August 3. On July 3, he broke his maiden going at Delaware Park.

John Hiraldo will ride the Hoppertunity colt, breaking from post number four.

The three rivals Re Markably faced and dispatched in the Dover – Kerness K, All the Hardways, and Bangkok Bob — all are slated for the return bout.

So, too, is a promising runner who scratched out of that contest. It’s Hammertime, an eight-length winner at first asking at Delaware June 5, missed some training prior to the Dover and as a result did not make that contest. But he’s been training steadily since, with official works over the strip August 13, August 21, August 27, and September 3.

It’s Hammertime is trained by Gary Capuano for Eagle Up Stables, London Reid Thoroughbreds, and Non Stop Stable, the latter of which co-bred the Vekoma colt with ZWP Stable. He’s a Maryland-bred out of the Not for Love mare Steady N Love. Gabriel Maldonado is named to ride.

Since the Dover Stakes became the prep for the First State Dash in 2021, only one horse has won the double. Copper Tax accomplished the feat last year. 

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