SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Basher Racing, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital and Donna Catherine’s Litmus Test tops a field of seven in the mile and a sixteenth second running of the $300,000 Delaware Derby at Delaware Park this Saturday.
The son of Nyquist is seeking his first victory this year after finishing unplaced in both the Kentucky Derby on May 2 and Arkansas Derby on March 28 and third in the Rebel Stakes on March 1. Last year, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was a leader in the 2-year-old division with a win in the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity, a third in the Breeders Futurity and a fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
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Trainer Bob Baffert has had three career starters at Delaware Park. In 2000, he saddled the Hall of Fame filly Silverbulletday to a third-place finish in the Delaware Handicap; in 2004, he won the Delaware Oaks with Yearly Report; and in 2005, he finished fifth in the Leonard Richards with Sort It Out.
Pocket 3’s Racing Big Cuddle will be looking to keep moving forward after an impressive victory in his first two turn test when he won the $100,000 Sir Barton Stakes at Laurel Park on May 16. Previously, the son of Great Notion was a fast closing second in a five-and-a-half-furlong allowance at Laurel Park on April 18. Last year, the Maryland-bred trained by Gary Capuano broke his maiden at Delaware Park in his career debut going five-and-a-half-furlongs. His career record is three wins and a second from four starts with earnings of $160,020.
“He has been running good, he is looking good and he has been training good, so all systems are on go for the Delaware Derby,” said trainer Gary Capuano, who saddled Sacred Thunder to a fourth-place finish in the inaugural Delaware Derby last year. “The Sir Barton was big for him. You never know until you run them, but he took the next step in that race. He had been training well going into it and it was his first race going long. He did not have the best of trips, but he was still able to grind it out, so it was a nice win. It looks like this race might be a little more challenging, so he will have to take another next step in his development. He broke his maiden at Delaware last year and he has been training at Delaware, so it always helps when you can run out of your own stall.”
Luv Your Neighbor Headlines Delaware Oaks
Lael Stable’s Luv Your Neighbor tops the $300,000 Grade III Delaware Oaks this Saturday. The mile and sixteenth affair has attracted a field of nine.
In her last, Luv Your Neighbor ran second in the seven-furlong Grade II Eight Belles at Churchill Downs on May 1. Previously, the daughter of Constitution ran in the filly stake series at the Fair Grounds where she was second in mile and seventy yard Untapable on December 20, second in the mile and seventy yard Silverbulletday on January 17, second in the mile and a sixteenth Grade II Rachel Alexandra on February 14 and third in the mile and a sixteenth Fair Grounds Oaks on March 21. The Ontario-bred conditioned by locally based trainer Michael Stidham has a career record of a win, five seconds and a third from eight starts with earnings of $319,271.
“She has been training here (Delaware) and doing really well,” said trainer Michael Stidham. “She had her final work on Sunday, so we are ready to go. She has had a solid season so far running against some of the best 3-year-old fillies in the country. She is such an honest filly who goes out there and gives you everything she has every time she runs. She has enough tactical speed to either be near or on the lead going this distance, so it is just going to depend on whether she is the best on Saturday.”
Imaginary Stables’ Jumping the Gun will be returning to the track where she has three wins from four starts including a pair of stakes. In her most recent, the daughter of Gun Runner ran second in the mile and an eighth Grade II Black Eyed Susan at Laurel on May 15. Previously, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by locally based trained Andrew Simoff ran third in the mile and a sixteenth Weber City Miss at Laurel on April 18. She sports a career record of three wins, three seconds and a third from seven starts with earnings of $283,750.
“She could not being do better,” said trainer Andrew Simoff. “She worked on Saturday and breezed a half mile in :49. It was nice and easy, so she is coming into the race good. This is going to be a tough race. It is tougher than the Black Eyed Susan, but she is in good form, it will be her third race back after the layoff and she is running over her home track, so we are looking forward to taking a shot at the Oaks with her.”
