Past DelCap posts

I don't have anything special planned for a countdown for my home track's biggest race, the Delaware Handicap. However, I do want to share some of my past Del Cap posts that I have done. So the following are the links to those:

Countdown to the Delaware Handicap posts:
Jameela
Island Sand
Obeah

2013 DelCap recap and Photos (Part 1)
It Was Worth It (Blind Luck vs Havre de Grace (2011))
2012 Delaware Handicap Photos (IMG Heavy)

Nominations don't come out until next week, but I do know that one of the horses that is possibly coming to this year's race is Princess of Sylmar. I will have a video preview once the field is announced which will include my picks.

This weekend however is the Delaware Oaks and a preview for that along with the Belmont Derby (what was formally known as the Jamaica) will be coming this week!

DelCap Recap and Photos (Part 1)

Today and Tomorrow will be my recap of this year's Delaware Handicap. Even though there was a short field, the crowd may have been the largest that I've seen at Delaware Park. Royal Delta was the horse to beat even though she was coming off a poor result in the La T. We had been having some pretty hot weather and Saturday was no exception. However, where I was sitting and standing thorough out the day there was a bit of a breeze, but not much. By the time post time had arrived for the race, the fence area by the rail where I usually stand, it was basically packed. 

As for the race itself, well Royal Delta didn't disapoint as Mike Smith slowed her down just enough where she just cruised for her fifth Grade 1 in her career. While she won't ever be mentioned in the same breath as say Rachel Alexandra and Mike's main girls Azeri and Zenyatta, she did make some history by becoming the first back to back winner of the race since Nastique did it in 1988 and 1989. Oh and she did it by taking off a second from her winning time from last year.

The following pictures where taken by me (Rachel Levine). I didn't get around to putting my copyright on some of these photos, but the next time I will be doing that. Keep in mind more photos are coming tomorrow!

Royal Delta in the post parade.

Centering who finished fourth in the race. I was honestly disapointed with how she ran.

The champ heading to the paddock

Runner up She's All In (1) and Summer Applause (2). 

And Why Not who ran okay in third.

Stay tuned for tomorrow for more pictures!!!

Whoo!!!!

After several years of trying, Delaware Park finally has a Grade 1 race again. The Delaware Handicap which is the crown jewel of the meet has earned the highest grade you can earn in American Thoroughbred racing. Also being upgraded is the Hopeful at Saratoga which was run as a G2 this year. Downgraded from G1 status where the Charlie Whittingham, Gazelle and Santa Monica. 

As someone whose hometrack is Delaware, I am very happy to see the DelCap be upgraded. It's been well deserved for the past few years, especially after this year's edition where Royal Delta went on to win the Beldame and BC Ladies Classic, and Love and Pride won the Personal Ensign and Zenyatta. Realistically, next year's field could be one of the best if all the major players (RD, Questing, My Miss Auriela, Tiz Miz Sue, Love and Pride) all show up. That will be awesome! Of course hopefully all of them will stay healthy. The prep for the DelCap, the Obeah will remain a G3, however I think if the winner or runner up in the race does well in the DelCap next year, it will get G2 status for 2014.

The Hopeful prob. should not have been downgraded for this year in the first place, but will be back to G1 status next year. What helped was that Currency Swap and Trinniberg the 1-2 from last year tore up the 3yo Sprint division with the latter ending his season with the BC Sprint title. And even though American Graded Stakes Committee looks at the first four finishers, I'm sure they also looked at this year's record of the 6th place finisher too. As that was none other then I'll Have Another. This year's Hopeful featured BC Juvenile winner Shanghai Bobby and Dover Stakes winner Vegas No Show (1/2 brother to Bullsbay).

As for the races that where downgraded, the Gazelle it was time. Since moving from Belmont to Aqueduct the field had been getting worse and worse. With making it now a G2, the quality could be more in line with the race conditions. I feel bad for the Whittingham, so that was a bit of suprise that was downgraded. As for the Santa Monica, that was a bit of a toughie as well since that was the only G1 for female sprinters on dirt in California (that is when the BC is not in the state).

Overall, the AGSC made to me the right moves. One of the hottest races for Older Females gets to be a G1, the premier Summer juvenile race is back on top and a race filled normally of second stringers was downgraded. So what do you guys think? Leave a comment for me to approve or tweet me at Twitter (@furlongdrive). 

It Was Worth It

Affirmed and Alydar began 11 years before I was born. I started following horse racing in 2003, so Free House and Silver Charm was before my time as well. Of course there was Hard Spun, Street Sense and Curlin, but that was a very special rivalry that began in the Derby and went the rest of the year. Finally, the last two years we had the "rivalry" of Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta, two horses who did not meet where it counted most, the track.

However, there is a rivalry going on right now. Today was my first time (more then likely final time) to see it unfold in person. Believe me, it could have been this rivalry's best race yet. It was worth seeing in person.

As many of you know by know, last year the Pollard's Vision filly Blind Luck made her way from her home in California to Delaware Park to race in the Delaware Oaks. After winning an epic Kentucky Oaks, Blind Luck lost the Hollywood Oaks to Switch (who would give Zenyatta all she could handle in the Lady's Secret, before finishing second in the BC F/M Sprint and racking up 2 G1's of her own). She was the clear cut favorite in the race and surely would run down front runners in grand style. Someone forgot to tell the Saint Liam filly Havre de Grace. Named after the hometown of Cal Ripkin Jr., and the famous racetrack in Maryland, Grace was coming off a second place finish in the Go For Wand which was the local prep for the Oaks. It looked like that she was going to pull off the huge upset in the slop, but Blind Luck came roaring down the stretch to win by a nose.

That would begin a stretch of 4 other races where they would finish in the Top 3 each time, only once where they did not finish 1-2 (BC Ladies Classic). Today was round six of this rivalry. The Delaware Handicap, at my home track Delaware Park. There was no way that I was going to miss this. Of course due to things beyond my control for right now, I had to get a ride to the track. Thankfully, my understanding mother and sometimes understanding sister (niether of who are big horse racing fans) came with me. We got there just in time to see the Sussex won by Mr. Ryder (whose half brother won a G2 last week in England). For the Carpenter I decided to venture down to the paddock to see former Louisiana Derby winner Friesan Fire upclose. Sadly, he threw his second clunker in 2 weeks finishing last (I believe actually crossed the wire being eased). Alma d' Oro won the race in a thriller.

Finally it was the big one. The photo you see above was taken as the horses where heading to the paddock. Not wanting to give up my spot trackside and the fact that the paddock was going to be packed, I just stayed where was. While Blind Luck and Havre de Grace where the headliners, there where three other horses in the race. Defending champion Life at Ten, and two longshots Thundering Emilia and Love's Blush. Life at Ten and Thundering Emilia went right for the lead, Havre de Grace was in third with Blind Luck in her normal last postion. As the three other horses faded, it became a 2 horse race between possibly the two best horses in the country now. It looked like that Havre de Grace was going to pull away, but Blind Luck would not let that happen. We got the duel that everyone wanted. In the end, Blind Luck would win by a nose. Havre de Grace was a very game second and Life at Ten a long way back for third.

These two horses have had great races, but this might have been the best of them all. Sure Grace's connections might argue that she was carrying two more pounds and that they should have been even. Honestly, even if they where even this matchup would not have happend. I for one glad that they met as more then likely they will both be retired next year to be moms.

So what's next for them? In all likely the Personal Ensign, however I hope they choose the race that is the week afterwards. That of course being the Woodward which would be against the older males. I think both of these fillies (along with Awesome Maria) would be able to defeat this set of males since this divison is weak. I for one will be excited no matter where they go. Lets hope they can keep this up the rest of the year.

As for the reception, both horses got great ones. As we where leaving the track, people where talking about it. I for one will never forget this day.

There will be more pictures coming in the next couple of days!

Round Six

After all the hype, tomorrow is the big day. It will be the Showdown in Stanton (where Delaware Park is located), Rumble in the DelCap, the West vs East. Lets meet the field for the 2011 Delaware Handicap!


Delaware Park - July 16, 2011
Race 10 - 5:18 PM 
Delaware H. (Grade II)
Purse $750,000. For Fillies And Mares Three Years Old And Upward. . One And One Fourth Miles. 

PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer
1 Life At Ten (KY) D Cohen 115 T A Pletcher
2 Thundering Emilia (KY) J Pimentel 111 M R Matz
3 Havre de Grace (KY) R A Dominguez 124 J L Jones
4 Love's Blush (MD) T L Dunkelberger 112 R Jenkins
5 Blind Luck (KY) G K Gomez 122 J Hollendorfer


First off the bat, Thundering Emilia is more then likely the better of the two longshots in this race. Love's Brush IMO will be the backmarker after BL makes her move in the stretch. So now that is out of the way, the question will be will the real Life at Ten show up, or is she done? Since her BC fiesco, she really has not been the same horse. The weather tomorrow is supposed to be good, so that might help her. The other thing that will help is that she is basically going to be the lone speed and she's won at this distance and track before. The problem is so has Blind Luck. She's finally rounding back into form with a win in the Vanity for her 6th Grade 1 of her career. She gets Garrett Gomez on her who has ridden her before and won this race back in 2008 with Hystericalady. Which leads us to the hometown favorite Havre de Grace. Not only is she coming off a win in the Obeah, the record for that race is pretty good. 3 out of the past 4 years, the winner of the Obeah has gone on to finish in the top 3 for the DelCap (only Peak's Maria Way did not finishing fourth, but runner-up Unbridled Belle won the race). She has a former leading rider at Delaware in Ramon Dominguez on her back, he who also has won this race in 2007 with Unbridled Belle.


So who is my pick? I gotta with my heart and go with Saint Liam's best foal and Pollard's Vision's best foal neck and neck for the wire. I'm going with Havre de Grace for the win, Blind Luck for second and Life at Ten showing her class to finish third.


I'm really excited to see Grace and BL as I have not seen them before. I will be having pictures (paddock possible, but since DelCap day is always busy, but def. track level for DelCap)!

Delaware Handicap Legends Race: You Choose!

Since the Mother Goose Legends Race was popular, I decided that this time around that I would let the readers to pick the horses. The race is the Delaware Handicap run at Delaware Park at a mile and a quarter. There will be a field of 8 horses (which is what it was last time), and they are all former winners of the race. That way we get a nice mix of fillies from the different eras of racing.

Here is the list of the winners.

So how can you be part of this? Well leave a comment in the comment section below (please note due to spam issues, all comments will have to be approved, sorry for any inconvenience. Please have your selections in by Sunday July 10th as I will be getting all the information together and posted later in the week.

Have fun picking!