De Francis winners Subrogate, Dean Delivers meet in Dave’s Friend
The Biz
November 20, 2025
Subrogate and Dean Delivers, the past two winners of the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash, square off again in Saturday’s Dave’s Friend at Laurel Park.
Subrogate, trained by Jorge Duarte, Jr. for Colts Neck Stables, captured the 2025 De Francis with a late rally and comes in off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler. Duarte said a pre-race incident cost him early position in that start, which was aimed at setting him up for this spot. He breaks from the rail with Jevian Toledo and is 5-1 on the morning line.
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“The horse that was next to him broke through the gate, and it seemed like it took a little bit of that sharpness away from him,” Duarte said. “That was the first run to get to this race. That was the plan all along.”
Dean Delivers, brilliant when wiring the 2024 De Francis during a four-race stakes streak, hasn’t held that form. He was fourth behind Subrogate in this year’s edition and last of seven in an Oct. 19 allowance. Trainer Ned Allard blamed the dull effort on the addition of Lasix and said he liked how his charge was doing heading into the race.
“I gave him a break at the beginning of the summer because it was so hot that it seemed to affect his training a little bit,” Allard said. “Now, with the cooler weather, he’s been training dynamite, so I feel like I really need to run him.”
The 5-2 morning line favorite is Prince of Jericho, a three-time Laurel stakes winner for Brittany Russell and owners Michael Dubb and Morris Bailey. He hasn’t run since finishing third in the Feb. 15 General George, but Russell has a 29% strike rate off the bench with a positive ROI. Prince of Jericho also won his 2024 seasonal debut off a 182-day break.
Petingas Twin, who defeated Dean Delivers last out, resurfaces for trainer Anthony Farrior. The gelding has improved since being cut and comes in off a sharp Nov. 7 bullet work.
Showstopper Copper and Uncle Cat are also expected. Sunny Breeze, Twisted Ride, and Maximus Meridius are cross-entered in Wednesday’s Turkey Trot at Parx.
The race honors Maryland legend Dave’s Friend, a 35-time winner and 2016 Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame inductee who retired as the state’s all-time leading earner.
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DAVE’S FRIEND STAKES ENTRIES
| PostPosition | Horse | Odds | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | Subrogate | 5-1 | Toledo J | Duarte Jorge Jr | Colts Neck Stables LLC |
| 2 | Petingas Twin | 6-1 | Hazlewood Y | Farrior Anthony | James C. Wolf |
| 3 | Twisted Ride | 8-1 | Hernandez A | Moore Michael M | Kasey K Racing Stable LLC, Michael R. Da |
| 4 | Uncle Cat | 20-1 | Lyapustina T | Singh Somraj | Euro Stable |
| 5 | Showstopper Copper | 6-1 | Rodriguez A R | Lingenfelter Thomas H | William K. Dove II |
| 6 | Maximus Meridius | 4-1 | Sanchez M J | Reid Robert E Jr | LC Racing, Cash is King LLC & Wellesley |
| 7 | Sunny Breeze | 8-1 | NO RIDER | Allard Edward T | Stonehedge LLC |
| 8 | Prince of Jericho | 5-2 | Russell S | Russell Brittany T | Michael Dubb & Morris Bailey |
| 9 | Dean Delivers | 15-1 | NO RIDER | Allard Edward T | Stonehedge LLC |
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