Starting at Saratoga:
10th Race - Saratoga - Saturday, July 21st, 2012
STAKES. 1 1/8 Mile Dirt. Purse $300,000. TVG Coaching Club American Oaks (Grade 1). FOR FILLIES THREE YEARS OLD. No nomination fee. $3,000 to pass the entry box. A supplemental nomination fee of $6,000 in addition to the entry fee will be accepted at any time prior to entry. All starters including supplemental nominees will receive a $1,500 rebate. The purse to be divided 60% to the winner, 20% to second, 10% to third, 5% to fourth, 3% to fifth and 2% divided equally among the remaining finishers. Any filly that competes in both the TVG Coaching Club American Oaks and the Alabama will have their entry fee waived for the Alabama. 121 lbs. Trophies will be presented to the winning owner, trainer and jockey. Closed Saturday, July 7, 2012 with 27 Nominations. (05:45 PM) (6)
PP Horse A/S M/E Wgt Jockey Trainer
1 Questing (GB) 3 F L 121 Ortiz, Jr. Irad McLaughlin Kiaran P.
2 Disposablepleasure 3 F L 121 Napravnik Rosie Pletcher Todd A.
3 Yara 3 F L b 121 Rosario Joel Guerrero Juan Carlos
4 Funny Proposition 3 F L 121 Bridgmohan Shaun Casse Mark E.
5 Zo Impressive 3 F L 121 Maragh Rajiv Albertrani Thomas
6 In Lingerie 3 F L 121 Castellano Javier Pletcher Todd A.
A very talented bunch of horses. In Lingerie and Zo Impressive faced off in an allowance at Gulfstream. Since then In Lingerie has won 2 stakes including the G2 Black Eyed Susan, while Zo Impressive has finished second in the Acorn and won the Mother Goose last time out. While In Lingerie does scare me, she did have a slight injury in the BES which forced her to miss the Goose. Disposablepleasure is no slouch either, she was 2nd to Zo in the MG, but will get a rider change as her jockey will be at his old track at post time. Yara is a bit of emigma here, Funny Proposition I don't know much about. Questing is 1 for 2 on dirt and will be running in the Godolphin colors for the first time. Me being a little bias is hoping that Zo and Quest, but I have a feeling it will be Zo, In and Dis in some order.
Last year's Delaware Handicap was one for the ages with Blind Luck and Havre de Grace battling it. This year's field has a chance to match it.
10th Race - Delaware Park - Saturday, July 21st, 2012
STAKES. 1 1/4 Mile Dirt. Purse $750,000. Delaware H. (Grade 2). FOR FILLIES AND MARES THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD. By a subscription of $300 each, which shall accompany the nomination, $2,500 to enter and $5,000 to start. $750,000 Guaranteed, of which $450,000 to the winner, $150,000 to second, $82,500 to third, $45,000 to fourth and $22,500 to fifth. Horses that finished first, second, third or fourth in the Obeah Stakes earned a free nomination to The Delaware Handicap. A trophy to the winning owner, trainer and jockey. Closed on Monday, July 9, 2012, with 17 Nominations. the Obeah Stakes earned a free nomination to The Delaware Handicap. A trophy to the winning owner, trainer and jockey. (05:45 PM) (7)
PP Horse A/S M/E Wgt Jockey Trainer
1 Royal Delta 4 F L 124 Smith Mike E. Mott William I.
2 Tiz Miz Sue 5 M L 114 Rocco, Jr. Joseph Hobby Steve
3 Cash For Clunkers 4 F L 114 Garcia Alan Violette, Jr. Richard A.
4 Daring Reality 4 F L 112 Santana, Jr. Ricardo Lynch Cathal A.
5 Pachattack 6 M L 118 Desormeaux Kent J. Motion H. Graham
6 Awesome Maria 5 M L 121 Dominguez Ramon A. Pletcher Todd A.
7 Love And Pride 4 F L 115 Rose Jeremy Pletcher Todd A.
There are two horses who have already won at a mile and a quarter. They are Royal Delta and Pachattack. Awesome Maria's granddam won the Alabama and she has the pedigree to go a mile and a quarter, but hasn't been the distance yet. Tiz Miz Sue gave Havre de Grace a little bit of a scare in the Obeah last year, Cash for Clunkers almost upset the Ogden Phipps and Love and Pride won this year's Obeah. Daring Reality is the unknown for me, since I don't know much about her.
If Royal Delta gets her trip, then she wins by ease. Awesome Maria and Pachattack could be stubborn enough to give just as a thrilling duel as last year. They go 2-3 with Tiz Miz Sue finishing fourth.
Finally, at Colonial.
9th Race - Colonial Downs - Saturday, July 21st, 2012
STAKES. 1 1/4 Mile Turf. Purse $600,000. Virginia Derby (Grade 2). OUTER TURF FOR THREE YEAR-OLDS. (08:38 PM) (9)
PP Horse A/S M/E Wgt Jockey Trainer
1 Optimizer 3 C L 117 Karamanos Horacio Lukas D. Wayne
2 Finnegans Wake 3 C L 117 Desormeaux Kent J. Romans Dale L.
3 Two Months Rent 3 G L 117 Pimentel Julian Toner James J.
4 Coach Royal 3 C L 117 Rocco, Jr. Joseph Terranova, II John P.
6 Easy Crossing 3 C L 117 Leparoux Julien R. Clement Christophe
7 Silver Max 3 C L 123 Albarado Robby Romans Dale L.
8 Lucky Chappy (IRE) 3 C L 117 Garcia Alan Motion H. Graham
9 Mr. Handsome 3 C L 117 Russell Sheldon Tullock, Jr. Timothy J.
Summer Front is staying at Saratoga. Never the less, it will be a very busy day for Ramon, Alan and Kent as the first two will ride at both Saratoga and Delaware before Colonial while the last will ride at Delaware and Colonial. With Summer Front staying in New York, Silver Max is the horse to beat. Lucky Chappy returns to turf after a dismal showing in the UAE Derby and Optimizer also returns to what is more then likely his perfered surface. I'm sticking with Max in this race with Summer Front (who would have been my pick) out.
All in all, a good day of racing. On the West Coast, Eden's Moon makes her turf debut and also at Colonial is the Virgina Oaks.
