Eight Ladies Come To Maryland’s Deleware Ridge Challenge
Greetings, everyone, and welcome to Maryland, where thoroughbreds run at a track we will lovingly call “Simlico.” Although spring appears to have sprung here on the east coast, we did have some rain a few days ago and so the track will be listed as Good for this week’s Deleware Ridge Challenge. Yes, I am aware that it should be “Delaware,” but this is named after a now retired mare, and anyway, Maryland always enjoys poking fun at the neighbors. Perhaps that is why we chose this mare to remember in a race. The stewards aren’t telling.
As for the race itself, we have eight fillies and mares, all four years old and up. Actually, they are all four and five except for one lone six-year-old, but we all know that old age and treachery beat youth and exuberance any day, or at least most, and this looks to be one of them.
Starting from the pole is Gangzig T, who only broke her maiden late last year in her 22nd start. This four-year-old daughter of Saratoga Six won an entry level allowance race at a mile and three sixteenths, also on an off track, so trainer stableted may be counting on this week’s rain to help her face the tougher competition. Gangzig T has run at the stakes level only once, at a mile and a sixteenth, and came home a disappointing seventh. She may have gotten a good look around while she was out there though, and comes back this week with high hopes. Hopes or not, Gangzig T will be the long shot for this race at 17/1.
At post two is Spanish Sunset, a five-year-old mare by Rainbow Quest. She’s had a slow start this year, with only an 11th and a 17th to show for her five-year-old season. Trainer grayhorse is looking to return this girl to her form of last year, when she ran fourteen races and finished in the money in all of them, an impressive feat in anyone’s book. Spanish Sunset may prefer a mile and an eighth, but has won a stakes at this distance before so don’t count her out. The damp track will not hinder her trip, and the handicappers seem to remember her previous form and have put her at 7/1.
Breaking third is four-year-old Mining Guild. She has won stakes level races at a mile and a quarter, but hit the wall at eleven furlongs and is returning to the classic distance where she seems most comfortable. Trainer glbstable moved her carefully through the allowance ranks, racking up five wins as a three-year-old before bringing this daughter of Gilded Time to the stakes races. She will not be bothered by the off track and has already won twice at this distance, putting Mining Guild at 7/1.
In position four we have Entourage, a daughter of Cryptoclearance who does not run her best in the mud but can still hang on to finish well. Kyclocker had her in a string of allowances at a mile and a quarter, of which she won four, before placing her in stakes races this year. Her stakes record so far has been a third, a fifth, and a sixth, so she will be looking to improve. Entourage’s last start after three weeks rest resulted in a drop in her speed figures, so this four-year-old filly may have benefited from an extra week off instead of running this week. Her career has still been handled well to this point, and she goes off at 5/1.
From post five comes Break Da Bank, who has looked good recently but may not like the still wet track that she will have to run. This five-year-old daughter of Spectacular Bid does not do all that well in mud. She stepped back to the allowance level in her last start, finishing second, and although she has finished second and third she has never had a win at a distance over a mile and an eighth. Break Da Bank has won a Grade II at a mile and a sixteenth, but has had several disappointing starts since then. Trainer tbonefarms has not given up on her, however, and after running a 102 speed figure in her last start this girl may have some spark left. She will start at 6/1.
Breaking sixth is five-year-old White Flag, a daughter of Twining who could be the loose cannon of the race. White Flag was claimed for 20k at the end of last year, and after a turf start for her new owner she returned to the dirt and had three wins in a row before coming home fifth last time out. Her only two starts at a mile and an eighth were in claimers, and although she finished in the money in both she has never won a race over a mile in length. She has won a stakes level sprint on an off track, so the mud will not be a problem for her. Ryantoga’s mare has been known to go to the lead if necessary, and with a lack of early speed in this race she may be seen at the front early on. Her ability to handle the distance remains the unknown factor that could impact this race. White Flag goes off at 5/1.
In position seven is six-year-old Seascape, the old lady of the race. Nevertheless, this daughter of Cape Town is still a major threat to win. Despite not running at all as a four-year-old, Seascape has shown she can handle both the mud and the distance that this race requires. She pulled off a 101 speed figure at this distance last year. This year, trainer rrr had Seascape placed in a Grade II, and after a disappointing run brought her back to finish fourth in a stakes in her last start. She has only been warming up, as her last three races were at ten furlongs or over and she seems to prefer nine and a half or under, as this race is. She has also run here at “Simlico” before with moderate success, so will at least be familiar with the scenery. Look for this mare to come from behind and make a big run to show she still has what it takes. She is the favorite at 5/2.
From post eight on the outside is Eden Park, ashworth’s five-year-old by Danzig. She has already won an allowance this year at a mile and three sixteenths, running a 103 in that race. She can’t handle sloppy going, but as the track here at “Simlico” is only listed as Good she should be okay. Eden Park spent most of last year sprinting before returning to the classic distances; she may be better at slightly shorter lengths than this, but if she can keep those speed figures going she could pose a huge threat to run away with this one. At 7/2, she has every right to make some of these other girls nervous.
Without any serious early speed it’s a huge question how this race will shake out before turning down the stretch, and White Flag may be the question mark that everybody looks to if she is able to handle the distance. Look for Seascape to show these young fillies how it’s done, with a potential challenge from Eden Park. Mining Guild and Spanish Sunset may also be there at the end.