Delaware Park picks and analysis: July 4, 2025 * The Racing Biz

Delaware Park picks and analysis: July 4, 2025

Picks and analysis for this afternoon’s card from Delaware Park:

RACE 1

2. Aaraj	Galloped in only prior local try and might have enough to take ’em all the way
7. The Heights	Bested by top choice two back but returned to win in latest; four who finished behind him ran in a July 2 heat, finishing 1-2-4-5
6. Strong Finish	Tough beat in return from lengthy break; any improvment off that probably wins here

RACE 2

6. My Man Woody	Consistent runner keeps churning out solid races versus similar or better; trainer-jock combo is 5-for-19
2. Ghost Stalker	Closed fast for third two back but was substantially overmatched versus plus field in latest; return to proper level should help
3. Beach Cowboy	First time in the Allen barn

RACE 3 – OFF THE TURF

10. Happy This Day	Willing effort in debut outing on dirt
12. Ready to Rocknroll	Only prior dirt try wasn’t bad versus special weight foes
2. High Hearts	MTO entrant has run credibly on the main track

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RACE 4

4. Kaz Creed	Outsprinted early when beaten favorite last out but should be the one to catch here
1. Casino Night	Didn’t run badly in the first off the claim and now finds a manageable spot
2. Otter Creek	His two starts since coming north haven’t been good, but this is still a pretty abrupt drop for a horse connex liked enough to run in stakes company three races ago

RACE 5 – TURF

7. Nicky Jolene	Huge effort three back in first two-turn turf try when making all the pace and staying on, while pace rival faded to 10th; that was her first off the bench too
8. Bella Estrela	Both her turf tries are solid, and latest saw runner-up win next out
10. Tanka Tough	Should be in the mix if drawing in after coming off 18-month layoff to be third behind class-dropping Cha Cha Tap
1. My Ronda	Has faced better

RACING NOTES

Click here for the latest Delaware Park jockey and trainer stats…
Jockey Paco Lopez doubled during the Thursday card. He rode 3-10 Berks to an easy win in a three-runner off-the-turf race for trainer Jamie Ness and then piloted Sandpiper Memories ($16.00) to a front-running allowance score for trainer Michael Simone…
Two-year-old filly Jumping the Gun ($5.20) made her debut a winning one in a Thursday maiden special. With Julio Hernandez up for Andy Simoff, Jumping the Gun stalked the pace of Techstar and then inched past that rival to win by 1 1/2 lengths in a field that was well spread out at the finish. Jumping the Gun is a Gun Runner filly who is a homebred for John Guarnere’s Imaginary Stables…

RACE 6

7. Lil Sebastian	Ought to be able to work out an ideal trip from the outside gate; not sure he beat much last out but sure did it nicely
1. Aspiring Comedian	Makes third start off the bench and runner-up from last-out win came back to win Wednesday
3. Freedom Stance	Dominated ragged field last out in second with Lasix; inclined to take a bit of a wait-and-see approach with this one

RACE 7 – TURF

7. Hidden Path	Long time since this guy’s been on the flat, but when last seen was racing credibly in really tough company; return to that form puts him in the mix at an attractive price, and trainer Hendriks has a decent record off the bench
2. Crabs N Beer	This is the type of company this guy wants and has rarely seen; return to two turns a plus, and blinks come off
1. Villain	Not much impact in latest behind razor-sharp Kake’s Arrow but owns the right to improve second off the bench

RACE 8

4. Fiveclocksomewhere	Show horse from latest came back to graduate by a half-dozen lengths
6. Got Game	Makes first start of 2025 after even debut outing; trainer Stidham is 6-for-16 with a 3.05 ROI when bringing horses back off similar layoffs at DEL
5. Lyric Street	Showed speed but had no answers last out; a couple of her earlier dirt efforts put her in the mix with these

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