DEL Handicap – Grade II
1 1/4 Mile Dirt Stake Purse $400.000 Filly & Mare 3 Year Olds And Up.

1st Fashionable Mb Stables Saez G

This was a very nice performance with 120Lbs on her back, the only mystery is to why the rather wayward odds maker had her as one of the outsiders of the field. She didn’t know her odds though and after a good start she was soon pressuring for the lead taking it up before half way. From there she kept the tempo up and was allowed to slip the field eventually keeping on gamely down the stretch to hold her stable companion at bay. There is no doubt that on her day she is very good and in a year when the older horses seem to have an edge of the three year olds it will be interesting if she can capitalize on this and take it through to the BC.

2nd    Dream Woman      Mb Stables      Espinoza V

I thought she would pull back her stable companion but once again she showed all her class but also her inability to quicken up. She has one very good pace but at this level she just struggles to get by good horses. I think she will be a force to be reckoned with for the rest of the year but that pace at the end of her races will always be a hindrance.

3rd       Starship Twister     TwinTowersRacing       Moran D

Fought on well to hold third but never really looked likely to overcome the Mb pair. It is still tough to get a real handle on her even after this good effort, is she an on pace miler or a long distance type, the jury is still out.

4th      Cream Soda       Nakamura Stables      Pereira T J

Got a long way back which was strange considering she had run so well from much closer to the pace in her last two and though she ran on well enough she never looked a danger. She remains a bit of an enigma, certainly good enough to win races like this but she just doesn’t seem to be able to up her game.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES