Millionaire Delaware River Tops B C Feature
A short field of six will face the starter in the featured Plum Seattle Memorial fashioned for older runners at one and five-eighths miles over a soggy grass course. Let’s take a look at the horses from the hedge outward.
Trainer Stoneface sends out the 2-1 favorite, Razor Robots(GB). The five year old son of the obscure Northern Crystal(GB) is Dad’s pride and joy. And he should be. Northern Crystal has sired only four horses and the other three have earned a grand total $9,000. Razor Robots has earned $163,000 so far and is looking for more today. I’m not quite sure why the oddsmaker favors this one. He has yet to hit the board in three 2006 starts and he’s never won a stake in his life. Shaky chalk to say the least.
Delaware River (3-1) breaks from gate two. Why this classy veteran turf marathoner isn’t favored is baffling. Of his fifty-one lifetime starts, forty-nine have been in stakes. Eighteen have resulted in wins. He’s a Grade One winner, has earned $1,632,820, was second or better in each of his last four starts, has a world class trainer in Baileybarn and is being ridden by the stellar Zane Kidder. What’s not to like? Perhaps the fact that the big gray is winless in two off track attempts is a concern to the oddsmaker. But realistically, the strikingly handsome son of Cozzene only needs his usual excellent performance to dust this field.
Breaking from gate three is Urko’s homebred, Urko’s Fantasy (Foyer(GB) x Rainbow Quest x Our Native) (9-1). The flashy chestnut is a stakes winner and handles off tracks well (4-2-0-1). On the down side, he’s lost his last ten starts and has been beaten an average of almost twenty lengths in those ten defeats. Hard to get excited with no recent signs of life.
Next comes recent auction purchase Big Red Bunny (5-2). Canisminor paid a quarter million for the six year-old son of Thunder Gulch and the Corporate Report mare, Best Tex. The big stallion has limited experience on grass but is a stakes winner on dirt. Has hit the board in both turf tries and most recently finished third in a two mile turf stake. Excellent chance to share and can win if Delaware River has a bad hair day.
Red River Ace(ire) (3-1) breaks from gate five. Why he is the same odds as Delaware River is the mystery of the century. Trainer Kittycat claimed this guy for $5000 five starts back. Since then, he did win a $35000 claimer. But in three allowance tries, the son of Generous(ire) has yet to hit the board. It is interesting to note that this guy won a leg of The Claiming Crown in Arizona last year posting a 104 speed figure. Looks like a very nice claim for Kittycat. But there’s no reason to believe he’ll like the distance or company on Saturday.
Rounding out our compact field is Hoofers’ longshot (12-1) Izaquirre (Treasure Cove x King’s Bishop x Turn To). The five year old mare has done a fine job in claimers and low allowances since being haltered for $4000 last year. Unfortunately, Izaquirre is not well suited to running thirteen furlongs against the likes of Delaware River. Later.
Delaware River could fall down and get up five times and still crush this field. At 3-1, he is a tremendous overlay since only Big Red Bunny has a shot to beat him. The others are simply not suited to the task at hand for one reason or another.