• CARRYOVERS: Early Pick 5, $19,797
• POST TIME: 12:20 P.M.
• NUMBER OF RACES: 8

RACE 1: 6-4-1-7

#6 Golden Eib Micrphn dominated similar with a stalk-and-pounce trip last time out, and though this group figures a bit tougher and the pace perhaps livelier, she’s shown the versatility to be where she needs to be and move when the rider asks; keeps churning out good races at this level… #4 Castagna had no answers for 2-5 Ness trainee Chelsea Wall last out but could be speed of the speed here and has plenty of good races to run back to… #1 Ade is probably a cut below but will be runing at the end and would not surprise by picking up a share…

RACE 2: 4-1-6-2

#4 Ritabook owns four wins over the Delaware strip and makes her meet debut here; speedy sort is drawn outside others with early zip and hsa been facing better at Tampa, so should appreciate a bit of class relief; trainer Carrasco has a positive ROI third off the bench… The formful #1 Baha Secret overcame a wide journey to best similar last out but may find the inner post a challenge with speedier speed to her outside… #6 Bertie’s Cause is another who’s mostly kept better company and should benefit if the pace heats up…

RACE 3: 1-2-7-6

He sure does like to finish second, so I may live to regret putting #1 Embrace My Uncle in the top spot in this contest, but he figures to save ground into the first and get a pace to run at; had some traffic issues in latest before finding clean air and just missing.. #2 Mr. Ripple has early lick and may be able to use it to good effect here; he seems to be back to his better form… Here’s something you don’t see every day: Irad Ortiz up on a horse trained by Jamie Ness; that’s the case with #7 Mad Banker, who enters off an allowance win over a tepid field last out; we don’t love the post position with the short run to the first turn or the projected odds, but heck, it’s Ness and Irad…

RACE 4: 1-8-9-5

#1 Kerness K arrives on a five-race heater, and yet last time out was not favored as Silver Slugger got the nod; those two towered over the rest, but show horse Daufuskie Island came to win next out… #8 Searcy is a neck away from a three-race win streak since switching into Justin Nixon’s barn and beat similar last out… #9 Easy Action has been beaten favorite two straight but run well in both…

RACE 5: 6-11-12-5

#6 Alakan ran on strongly late last time out and galloped out in front, but mid-stretch tight quarters, when the rider was searching for a seam, cost him the win; keeps running good races and drawn better than other major players in here… #11 Parkes wheels back in a week after an OK try in which he never quite had free run… #12 Celtic Flame didn’t have much chance against the Chad Brown-trained Tapit colt Arizona Territory, now 2-fo4-3 in his career, but there’s none of those in here…

RACE 6: Alapocas Run Stakes

6-3-8-2

In a race that’s filled with speed, we’re looking for a horse that can maybe sit just off it and pounce, one like the classy old veteran #6 Durante, an earner of more than $1.1 million; he won the Nerud with a stalk-and-pounce trip two back, and last out he lost his best chance with an awkward break that left him toiling at the rear… #3 Just Beat the Odds is the best of the group but likely to be heavily bet and figures to be one of those slugging it out on the front end; led most of the trip in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint before settling for second behind Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up Imagination and prior to that was much the best in the G3 Elite Power… #8 Full Moon Madness couldn’t get to Durante in the Nerud and prior to that had no great excuse when second in the Tom Fool after a perfect trip off the speed…

RACE 7: Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial

3-2-4-1

#3 Bellezza exits a somewhat off-color performance when sixth as the favorite in the 12-furlong Orchid, but that race has produced two next-out winners; has a pair of graded stakes wins to her credit and gets reunited with Jaime Rodriguez, who was aboard for both… #2 Storm Miami led a long way in the Sheepshead Bay before yielding late to the 1-2 favorite; projects as the main speed in here and should control the temp, but this group is plainly better than that one was… #4 Alluring Angel hit her stride midway through her most recent campaign, winning the G3 Long Island, but two follow-up outings were not good; might be the one to get first run on Storm Miami…

RACE 8: Obeah Stakes

6-1-7-4

#6 Chasten was a bit over her head in the Grade 1 La Troienne last out, finishing mid-pack at almost 13-1, but her prior form was fine and includes a win in the Sandy Bottom at Colonial Downs; will look for a stalk-and-pounce type of trip here… The improving #1 Amalfi Drive upset a second-level allowance at Churchill Downs last out and should be one-two in the early running, either on the lead or just off it and pressing longshot Late Nite Call; has been working at DEL… #7 Cash Call looked good in winning the Grade 3 Summertime Oaks and returns to two turns for the first time since after a couple of bland outings…

RACE 9: Cape Henlopen Stakes

7-1-5-8

#7 Vote No enters this contest as the defending champ, but the Danner trainee’s form is a little bit dirtied up after finishing fourth behind the very good Burnham Square and two back finishing sixth in the Henry S. Clark at LRL, but that contest was too short for him at a mile, and after a very troubled trip, he threw down the fastest final quarter in the race (22.33 seconds)… #1 Desvio likewise ran into Burnham Square last out, in the Elkhorn, when a very distant second; that race has produced a couple of next out winners, and this one also owns a win at DEL (in the 2024 Kent) and a graded win in last fall’s Sycamore at Keeneland… #5 Just a Touch is multiple Grade 1-placed on the main track and looked good in winning first turf outing in a three-other-than at Keeneland; he is unproven at this sort of distance and against the likes of these on the turf, so demand value if using in the top spot, but talent’s not in question…

RACE 10: Delaware Derby

6-3-5-4

#6 Big Cuddle knocked off 1-2 Final Story from the Brad Cox barn last out in the Sir Barton, and that race may have been better than it looked: in addition to being in and among horses throughout, this one and the runner-up drew away from the rest smartly, and the one-mile time of 1:38.19 was faster than the Preakness one-mile time (1:38.55); should sit behind a couple of speedy types… #3 Out of the Woods has won two straight on the front end and both at this distance, but other speed signed on could complicate matters; big outing in latest… #5 Sovereign Law couldn’t get past Out of the Woods last out despite others having pushed that runner, but it was still a good outing for a lightly raced sort with plentiful upside… #4 Litmus Test appeared to be a beast as a juvenile, winning a Grade 2 and beaten less than two lengths for all of it in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but his sophomore campaign has left a lot to be desired; inclined to make him prove it before taking short win odds on him…

RACE 11: Grade 3 Delaware Oaks

6-1-9-7

#6 Dazzling Dame exits the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, in which she pressed through fast early fractions before fading late; the horse she pressed, Explora, came back to win next out, and this one projects to be controlling speed in this spot; her defeats have come when failing to make the lead or cooked in a torrid pace, and this time might be different… #1 Jumping the Gun ran a bang-up race in the G2 Black-Eyed Susan, looming before trip-sitting favorite My Miss Mo rebuffed her bid; should be able to save some ground when leaving from the rail, which will make a nice change from last couple… #9 Sneaky Good has done nothing but run good races, and her third in the Honeybee looks better now that we know that the top six to run back from it include two winners, three runners-up, and the fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Oaks; looks to sit a couple lengths off it early and pounce late… #7 Luv Your Neighbor has run some very good races but does have a tendency to hang, including last out when making a bold bid that petered out a bit in late stages; want to see her finish one off before taking short odds…

RACE 12: 9-3-4-11

#9 Scanner ran a better-than-it-looks race in his debut Preakness day at Laurel; he was green and rank for much of it but stuck around until the final quarter-mile; no reason he can’t take a big step forward in this one, hopefully at a playable price; trainer Motion has a positive ROI with second-timers in special weight company… Sound Bite has caught some tough rivals in two North American tries; the Clement barn has had good success at DEL… #4 Practical Joker had some good tries at two but won’t likely be 15-1 at post time…