Delaware Handicap & Virginia Derby Race Results
by Patricia Woo | Jul 19 2010
A pair of graded stakes winners continued their winning ways on Saturday, July 17, in their respective races. Life at Ten's winning streak of four was extended to five off an easy victory in the $750,000 Gr. 2
Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park. Meanwhile, Paddy O' Prado returned to his favoured surface and captured his second straight title on turf: the $600,000 Gr. 2 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs.
Emerging as a top contender in the Ladies' Classic division, Life at Ten continued to roll in the Delaware Handicap against six rivals. After breaking from outside post 6 under John Velazquez, she set the pace while racing along the rail. Chased by Miss Match, who had Brian Hernandez, Jr., in the irons, Life at Ten continued to lead despite a challenge at the second turn by Miss Singhsix and jockey Jose Valdiva, Jr. But even with the four-wide move by Miss Singhsix, the Todd Pletcher-trained Life at Ten maintained her advantage and hit the wire first. Her winning time over the 1 ¼ mile race was 2:03.21, and she earned $450,000 for owner Cynthia DeBartolo. Miss Singhsix came in second, followed by Funny Moon, Milwaukee Appeal, Miss Match and Million Seller.
Life at Ten has also earned an automatic berth into the
Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, which will take place on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs. A 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon, Life at Ten now has not lost a race since a stint on turf in an allowance race in Sept. 2009 ended in a seventh-place finish; her record improves to 14-7-5-1 and $909,267.
In contrast, Paddy O' Prado has just begun to regain his winning form. The 3-year-old son of El Prado started down the road to the
Triple Crown with a win in the Gr. 3 Palm Beach Stakes on March 6. And he fared admirably in the
Kentucky Derby, finishing third, but could not duplicate his success in the Preakness in which he came in sixth.
Owners Donegal Racing decided to return Paddy O'Prado to grass, and he has flourished. On June 19, he captured the Gr. 2 Colonial Turf Cup at Colonial Downs, and on July 17, he claimed victory in the Gr. 2 Virginia Derby against fellow 3-year-olds. With Kent Desormeaux in the irons, he set out second-last early on in the 1 ¼ mile race; at one point, he was 11 lengths behind pacesetter Two Notch Road, under jockey Sheldon Russell. But the Dale Romans-trained Paddy O'Prado had much left in the tank: He took over the lead with a tremendous rally as the field moved into the turn and fended off all challengers to finish first. Interactif, who also made a move on the turn, finished second, and Krypton, Two Notch Road, Stately Victor, Majestictroubadour and Awesome Dream completed the order of finish. The winning time was 2:02.58.
Paddy O'Prado earned $354,800 for the win and boosted his winnings to $1,111,297 from 10 starts.
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