RGD – Grade III

Race Date: 6/13/2026 Time: 18:05 Deadline: 6/9/2026 3:00 Track: DEL Race #1 Distance: 1 3/8m Surface: Turf Race Type: Graded Stake Purse: $250.00 — For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward

1 — Categorical Destiny — Mb Stables — Lopez P — 123

A nine‑race winner of nearly 1K, this six‑year‑old has threatened on several occasions to break into the elite class but has never strung enough together to stay there. Last year, when she took the Ballston and the Flower Bowl, it looked like she had found the X‑factor, but she then struggled in the First Lady and the BC, prompting the trainer to drop her down the levels to win an allowance at BTP.

It’s hard to know what that one‑length win really told us, but her runner‑up finishes in a couple of Grade III events since suggest she is not far off her best. With a perfect draw for a stalking run, she must be considered a winning chance from a stable that only has to breathe to win graded stakes these days.

2 — Midnight Hurricane — Serenity Stables — Franco M — 117

She looks to take advantage of the three‑year‑old weight allowance and switches to the grass for the first time in hopes of triggering the old HRP hack. She looked good when fourth in both the Davona Dale and the FG Oaks, prompting a rather high sale price when she arrived at Serenity Stables in April.

Her first and only start for the new trainer resulted in a last‑place finish at allowance level, so she certainly has something to prove. On form she has a bit to find, but form can mean little when a weight allowance, a surface switch, and a decent draw are in play. She cannot be written off.

3 — Bridgit — D J C Racing Stables — Fresu A — 123

There is so little difference between an allowance at the lower levels and a stakes race at this level that it is hard to dismiss a horse simply because it has been running at the fair level. That’s where this six‑year‑old was last time out, winning an allowance at BTP. Before that she won a $20 claimer, where the current trainer bought her, so on form alone she wouldn’t appear to have much chance.

But this is HRP. Her works give her a great chance, and her stakes placing last year gives her some chance. While she isn’t in the same bracket as a couple of these, she has a legitimate shot at a top‑three finish.

4 — Explorer — Avenue Z — Centeno D E — 123

Another six‑year‑old and a recent graded stakes winner, she probably brings some of the best recent form and could be the one in what is a tricky race. She was a little flat in the Bewitch last time, but she dominated the Orchid from the front in her previous start, making it difficult to know which version of her will show up today.

Centeno takes the reins, and he rode her into fifth in the BC, which feels like a positive. At her best, she can win.

5 — Shogun X — Serenity Stables — Gutierrez Mario — 117

The second of the two three‑year‑olds from this barn, and another purchased from the same stable for what seemed a high price at the time. A maiden at the time of purchase for $375, she hasn’t won in two starts since but ran a very good fourth in the Ashland in April — form that puts her right in this with the weight allowance.

Her dirt works have been very good, so the switch back to turf is interesting. Still, it is hard to see a maiden defeating graded‑stakes‑winning older mares.

6 — Lightning Blackout — Maxmillion Farm — Bridgmohan S X — 123

Her recent form has been pretty average, making her easy to rule out, but she does have the turf king at the gaming buttons, and you can never tell what they have seen to enter her in a race like this. The trip should suit, but you must rely on something we can’t see to give her a winning chance.

7 — Love — Mo Mentum Farm — Velazquez J R — 123

She had a hugely promising three‑year‑old season and has done enough as a four‑year‑old to suggest she retains that ability. She won the Wilshire well in March, and her two runs since suggest this trip is within her scope, so her chances must be respected.

The question mark is the wide gate. She is likely to go back, leaving her dependent on pace and the race engine. If she can start well and lay up close, as she did in the Wilshire, it may give her her best chance of winning.

SUMMARY

The most interesting angle in this race is the pair of Serenity Stables three‑year‑olds. Both have good form against their own age group and arrive with a significant weight allowance while running on a surface where there is little to no established form. If they run to their works, they have a winning chance.

However, the older mares still seem to hold a slight edge, and this may ultimately become a race between the inside and the outside.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES