Opening Weekend at Saratoga and Del Mar
by Bodog Racebook | Jul 19 2011
The Coaching Club American Oaks Stakes and the Eddie Read Stakes will kick off opening weekend at Saratoga Race Course and Del Mar Racetrack, respectively, on Saturday, July 23.
At Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY, 3-year-old fillies will compete in the $250,000 Gr. 1 Coaching Club American Oaks Stakes. Top contenders for this 1 1/8 mile race include Royal Delta, It’s Tricky and Buster’s Ready – all winners in their last outing. Royal Delta, an Empire Maker filly, won the Gr. 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico Racetrack on May 20. Holding a 2011 record of 3-2-0-0, she incurred a bruised foot leading up to a scheduled start in the Gr. 1 Mother Goose Stakes on June 25 but has been training well for Bill Mott: she posted a bullet 5-furlong work at Belmont Park on July 10, timed in 1:00.65. It’s Tricky is a Kiaran McLaughlin trainee who captured the Gr. 1 Acorn Stakes on June 11 at Belmont Park in her last race. A daughter of Mineshaft, It’s Tricky is 4-3-0-0 on the year. A More Than Ready filly, Buster’s Ready was a surprise winner of her grade 1 debut, the Mother Goose Stakes on June 25 at Belmont. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Buster’s Ready has a 6-3-2-1 record in 2011.
Also possible for the Coaching Club American Oaks are Joyful Victory (second in the Mother Goose Stakes), Hearts on Fire, Little Miss Holly and Marvel Gaye.
On Saturday, July 23, Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, Calif., will feature turf runners in its richest race of the day, the $300,000 Gr. 1 Eddie Read Stakes. Two of the expected are Jeranimo and Kid Edward. Though winless in his last four starts, Jeranimo will be looking to recapture the form that saw him close out 2010 with a pair of wins, one in the Gr. 2 San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita Park. The 5-year-old son of Congaree is trained by Michael Pender and has earned a career $510,400; he is 5-3-4 from 19 starts. Kid Edward is a 4-year-old son of Singspiel making his grade 1 debut. His first race of 2011 was on July 2 in an allowance optional claimer at Hollywood Park in which he ran runner-up. Trained by James Cassidy, Kid Edward has earned $129,260 from seven career starts and is 2-2-1. Leroy’s Dynameaux, a recent allowance race winner, is also a possibility.
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