The DEL Oaks (Grade 3)- $300.000 Purse
DEL- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
July 7, 2018

On Saturday, a race that could have been lost in the shadows of all the excitement at BEL took place at DEL, in the DEL Oaks. This is a race that has seen many greats win, especially recently, and now Estero Farms will be hoping that Sports Creek can have the same type of success after this race that we saw Notarized Kate and Queenwood have in the last two years. Sports Creek looked good in this five horse field, strong out of the gate and strong at the end to get the win! It’s the first win in the stake for both the trainer, Estero Farms, and the jockey, R Chirinos. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:42.04, not as quick as those well known last two winners, but still one of the better times that the stake has seen. Let’s take a look!

(1/4 Mile- :23.29)- Sports Creek is strong right from the gate, and the eventual winner wastes no time at all taking the lead by over a length for her trainer, Estero Farms. Exhilarating also started well for Maxmillion Farm, and would have her stablemate, Night School, right beside her in stalking position as they began to move around the opening turn. After a gap of two lengths, we’d find Magic Wheels (Jader Stable), and another two to Velocity Falls (D J C Racing Stables). So, if you already know the end result of this race before you began reading, that is indeed what the exact finishing order would be as well, but let’s see what kind of action we’d have in the meantime!

(½ Mile- :47.04)- There’s some action at the front as the second quarter goes a little slower then the opening one, as Exhilarating pulls up to the outside of Sports Creek and now only trails her by half a length. Otherwise, the rest of the field is pretty much maintaining positions on the rail, keeping their position, while not doing much of anything. Not much to really describe, so hopefully the action will start to pick up for the next segment!

(Top Of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- As they make their way around the turn, Exhilarating is starting to look like the better horse. Both her and Sports Creek continued a steady and graceful stride along the turn, but as they made their exit of the turn, and into the stretch, Exhilarating was starting to poke a nose in front. Sports Creek was still looking good, but she’d need to respond to this move. Night School ran all by herself in the middle of the field, two lengths behind the leaders, and not posing any threat to them, while at the same time remaining ahead of Magic Wheels and Velocity Falls by a length and a half.

(Finish- 1:42.04)- In the stretch, Exhilarating tried to hold on, but in the final half furlong, it would be Sports Creek, who never gave up, holding steady and getting up for the win. I can’t tell if this was a product of Exhilarating getting a little tired in the dying moments, or Sports Creek impressively finding another gear late in the race. Probably could be interpreted either way, but it Sports Creek picking up the big win. Running third is Night School, who holds off a late bid by Magic Wheels for the third position. Velocity Falls is fifth.

About The Winner- Sports Creek, trained by Estero Farms, and ridden to victory by R Chirinos, is a three year old filly by Lannisport, and is out of Rosy Red Cheeks. She was bred in California by Downwind Stables as a yearling, and acquired by Estero Farms, via Aer Stables, in private sales in February of this year for $165.000. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her fourth in 13 starts, her second stake win, and first graded win. Her career earnings are now $424.340.

Track: Fast
Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES