The sixth edition of the Delaware Mile has its richest purse to date, a cool $3 million. Some of the fastest milers to grace the game have competed in the Mile. Western Groom won the first running by three lengths over Black Jack Shellac, sizzling his way to a 1:33 3\/5 mile (126 SF). The following year, Eruption emerged the 2 \u00bd length victor, with Black Jack Shellac once again in the runner-up position and Western Groom a distant third, again with a final time of 1:33 3\/5 for the mile (125 SF). The next, it was a changing of the guard, with High Otto who won over a track rated good, with a time of 1:34 3\/5, holding off Carson and Dane. In 2005, Taking Risks posted a mild upset over the filly Swift Kick, with a time of 1:34 1\/5. Last year, Otto History became the first filly to win the Delaware Mile, beating a top caliber field in the process while just missing the stakes record, finishing in 1:33 4\/5 (113 SF). Surprisingly, despite the huge purse, this race seems weaker than usual, but on Saturday, 14 hopefuls will gather to begin the quest for glory and riches, all hoping to prove the Roger Bannister of this event (Otto History is still in training, but will not be defending her title):
PP1: Staff Trouble<\/B> (3yo colt, Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector x T. V. Commercial)
This zaza<\/I> homebred takes a giant leap in class. After breaking his maiden earlier tis year, he has spent time working his way through his conditions in the allowance ranks, before making his stakes debut a winning one, posting a 109 SF for the mile. However, that race was back on September 8, and the colt has been on the sidelines since. Tough spot to return off of a layoff, especially with the jump in class.
PP2: Carol of the Bells<\/B> (4yo filly, Hennessy x Private Account x Dr. Fager)
Deyoto3’s<\/I> star filly tries males, and based on her recent form, don\u2019t hold that against her, especially considering Otto History won last year. She has exploded in her last few races, and is definitely the now horse, having won both the Word Cup Ladies Mile-G1 (111 SF) and Air Line Handicap-G3 (116 SF) at this distance. Lots to like about her. Claimed for $13,500 out of her debut, she definitely has the rags to riches theme going, and hunch players simply have to go with the name, given this is the weekend before Christmas. Ignore at your peril.
PP3: Downplaying Ted<\/B> (4yo colt, Touch Gold x Lear Fan x Formidable)
Husky chestnut is fresh off of a sparkling, frontrunning victory in the G2 Lewis & Clark Stakes (9 furlongs, 112 SF). Stakes<\/I> hopes that Ted has just as much success at a flat mile. Definitely a colt on the improve, to date, the colt\u2019s best success has come at 9, rather than eight, furlongs, and would probably need to bring his A game to pull this off, but his form is trending in the right direction. Low percentage jock is a bit of a concern.
PP4: Apache Sunrise<\/B> (3yo colt, Harlan\u2019s Holiday x A.P. Indy x Alydar)
Poorman\u2019s<\/I> colt was flying high early on in his juvenile year, winning the G1 KY H Juvenile at a flat mile with an eye-catching 93 SF. Unfortunately, in 11 starts since, it has been mostly a bumpy ride, with eight off the board finishes. There have been a few bright spots in there, notably, Apache\u2019s stellar win in the G1 Smackdown with a 109 SF. However, he has fallen flat in three starts since then. Two might be chalked up to the distance, but he staggered home seventh in the G1 Bad to the Bone Mile seven weeks ago. Still, his time was decent, but he\u2019s going to have to be on his best behavior to reverse form here.
PP5: Degoldenstorm<\/B> (3yo colt, Dehere x Seeking the Gold x Storm Cat)
Yet another sophomore in the fied, tenpin4’s<\/I> colt gets the local rider, Brian Ironside (somewhat mystifyingly, Delaware\u2019s top jock, Herbert Ross was transferred to Pennsylvania for the day), and takes an interesting turf to dirt angle, prepping in a listed turf stakes three weeks ago in a rather dull performance. He has tried this once before, which resulted in a third place effort in the one mile Trial By Night Stakes-G2. As a 2yo, he defeated Apache Sunrise in the G2 Darling Squash Handicap at one mile, and earlier this year, established his credentials as a Derby contender after winning the Giant Slayer-G3 and Fountain of Ute-G2. However, he stalled out at about that distance, failing to carry his speed further, and after a 14th place effort in the big event, he has been racing mostly at shorter distances. He was a badly beaten eighth behind Apache Sunrise on Smackdown day, and hasn\u2019t found the winner\u2019s circle in four starts since the Hoover Handicap (1 1\/16 miles, 110 SF). Like rival Apache, can make no missteps here if he wants a shot at the win.
PP6: Northern Bullet<\/B>, (3yo colt, Red Bullet x A.P. Indy x Northern Dancer)
Wabred1’s<\/I> charge was hoping for rain, as he lit it up in the I See Live People Memorial (114 SF) over a sloppy track, but it was not to be. He has won a listed stakes at 1 1\/16 miles wit a 110 SF, but has faltered in his three most recent graded stakes attempts, including a third in the Sterile Mile last time out. Needs a career best to win here.
PP7: Who Do You Love<\/B> (3yo colt, Awesome Again x Damascus x Hoist the Flag)
One of the stronger sophomore contenders in the field, the lenny9<\/I> colt plays catch me if you can, winging it out on the lead and trying to sustain it to the wire. He has put up some sizzling numbers, even if he hasn\u2019t always been able to parlay them into wins. After capturing a listed stakes wit a 115 SF, he was a grudging second in the G1 Bad to the Bone Mile, losing by \u00bd length (117 SF). Last time out, he was third in the G1 Sterile Mile (112 SF), beaten less than two lengths. It will be Lawton\u2019s challenge to get the colt to relax enough to hold off the closers in the stretch without throttling him in the beginning, especially since he is not the lone speed in the field. Speed has to be respected.
PP8: Privileged<\/B> (4yo colt, Gone West x Danzig x Buckpasser)
From the highly respected saver<\/I> stable, Privileged returns to Delaware after running a dull eleventh in last year\u2019s Mile. In eight starts this year, he has won only once, a solid effort in the G1 Bill Gulch Kentucky Challenge at 9 panels (111 SF). Since then, he has failed to hit the board in three starts. Still, he has only run at a flat mile once since the Mile, and the cutback in distance may be what the doctor ordered, especially since he did win the Morrison Mile last year. Still, ignoring the dull effort in the Classic, it almost seems like at this point in his career, he really wants farther, not shorter. Classy horse, but would be a bit of a surprise here.
PP9: Farseer (IRE)<\/B> (3yo colt, Sadler\u2019s Wells x Silver Buck x Poker)
Lightly raced and improving sophomore colt, devil01<\/I> hopes that Farseer shows that he is more than a one-hit wonder. And what a hit it was, as the colt stalked Who Do You Love throughout the Bad to the Bone Mile-G1, before prevailing in a stretch duel with a sharp 118 SF for the distance. He bounced a bit off that effort last time out, but if he can repeat that performance, watch out.
PP10: Pridenprejudice<\/B> (3yo colt, Fusaichi Pegasus x Seattle Slew x Forty Niner)
Gwyneth\u2019s<\/I> royally bred colt has been knocking on the door of late. After winning the Trial By Night Stakes-G2 (111 SF) earlier this year, he has been settling for minor awards, hitting the board in the G1 Swamps and Eddie Haskell, both at 9 furlongs, and more recently was a best of the rest third in the Bad to the Bone Mile-G1, six and change behind the first two finishers. Like Degoldenstorm, prepped in a turf race, where he finished third. The last time the approach was taken, he finished second in an owner-restricted stakes. A contender who hopes to find the winner\u2019s circle again here.
PP11: Head Start<\/B> (4yo colt, Jump Start x Rahy x Kingmambo)
6ward<\/I> definitely made a nice claim with this guy at the beginning of this year, plucking him out of a $5k maiden claimer. He comes into this race off of a two stakes win streak. However, his success has really come since he\u2019s been stretched out to 9 and 10 furlongs, not a mile, and I\u2019m not sure that the cutback in distance is precisely what the doctor ordered. Still, he is in the best form of his life, and for $3 million, why not? Needs to show continued improvement, but he does have momentum and good form on his side.
PP12: Tempest<\/B> (5yo colt, A.P. Indy x Storm Cat x Kris S.)
Oscar\u2019s<\/I> successful colt is probably in the best form of a career that has resulted in graded stakes wins at three and four. Tempest posted a career best 118 SF two starts back when winning the G1 World Cup Mile by two lengths. He has run only once since then, making a huge belated move in the It\u2019s All Your Fault Stakes to get fourth. Tossing out two races over an offtrack, a surface the horse has never cared for, the Indy stallion fits right in, and is thriving at a mile. A repeat of the World Cup performance, and look out.
PP13: Wooden Minstrel<\/B> (3yo colt, Hennessy x Woodman x Deputy Minister)
The final sophomore in the field, andpogs1’s<\/I> homebred colt is one of the strongest of the bunch, coming into this race fresh off a score in the G1Steile Mile with a 115 SF, closing from last to first. Prior to that, he was flying late to get third in the It\u2019s All Your Fault-G2, and was also second in the G1 World Cup Mile. Should get the lively pace he needs to set up his late run, and has a top jock in the irons. Lots to like about this guy, but as always with closers, pace and trip are key.
PP14: Musicality<\/B> (4yo horse, Sadler\u2019s Wells x Easy Goer x Key to the Mint)
Kevoman4<\/I> has another live runner in this guy after he exploded to finish second in the Sterile Mile-G1 behind Wooden Minstrel. Like that rival, he was rolling from the back, but simply got outfinished. This was a welcome return to the form that saw him capture the G3 Razorback and Barkley Handicaps in the spring of this year, the latter coming over a flat mile. Rounding into shape at the right time, may pull of the mild surprise at 10\/1 if he can continue to move forward.
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
$3 Million Up for Grabs!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":438,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/438"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5220\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}