Black-Eyed Susan Redux In Delaware Oaks

[Wandering Eyes]

Saturday's $300,000 GIII Delaware Oaks is the first of three graded events on the local racing calendar for 2025 and will feature a rematch of the top three home in the GII Black-Eyed Susan Stakes down at Pimlico a little more than four weeks ago.

Margie's Intention (Honor A. P.) was venturing outside of Louisiana-bred competition for the first time at Old Hilltop and the 5-2 favorite made the most of the opportunity, coming with a late rally to peg back Godolphin's Paris Lily (City of Light). Kinzie Queen (McKinzie) bridged the lion's share of a 15-length deficit to finish third, just two lengths behind the winner, but will have a slightly shorter trip to cope with this time around.

An interesting 'new' shooter is Will Farish's Cassiar (City of Light), a $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling who was a distant third in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks two back, but was visually impressive in taking a first-level Aqueduct allowance going the one-turn mile May 1. Third that day was the comebacking Grade I winner Scottish Lassie (McKinzie), who ran an improved race when third in the GI Acorn Stakes last Friday.

Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) makes his seasonal debut as the 6-5 morning-line selection in Saturday's GIII Daytona Stakes down the hill at Santa Anita, while Monmouth Park hosts the GIII Salvator Mile on the main and the GIII Eatontown Stakes on the grass.

Speaking of comebackers, Immersive (Nyquist) makes her first start since cementing a championship season in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last November when she goes postward in the $175,000 Monomoy Girl Stakes at Churchill Downs. The Godolphin homebred will face a maximum of five others and her regular mate Manny Franco is in from New York for the ride.

“We're looking forward to getting her started again,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She's doing well since coming back to the string at Churchill and looks just as good as she did as a 2-year-old.”

Delaware and Monmouth also have 3-year-old features on their graded-stakes undercard. The $200,000 Delaware Derby has drawn a field of 11 where the Cox barn will be represented by Albaugh Family Stables' Admiral Dennis (Constitution), winner of two of his six starts and a close fourth in the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes back in April. He could face some sort of challenge from Academy (Oscar Performance), who won his maiden in the local slop by 4 1/2 lengths May 22, earning a 91 Beyer that would put him on the wire here.

Kentucky Outlaw (Outwork) wired the May 10 Long Branch Stakes at the Jersey Shore and is cross-entered for the NYRA Bets Pegasus Stakes. Juddmonte's Garamond (Uncle Mo), third in the GIII Gotham Stakes in March, popped a 98 Beyer in besting 'TDN Rising Star' Cornucopian (Into Mischief) by 3 1/4 lengths over Aqueduct's one-turn mile in an Apr. 27 allowance, and anything resembling that effort sees him back in the winner's circle on Saturday.

The post Black-Eyed Susan Redux In Delaware Oaks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article