Honor D Lady. (Hoofprint)
War Like Goddess returns to winning ways in Robert G. Dick Memorial
Auto Glide takes Battery Park Stakes
Delaware Park Racing News & Notes
WILMINGTON, Del.— Final Furlong and Madaket Stable’s Honor D Lady cruised to victory in the $500,125 Grade II Delaware Handicap today. The 4-year-old daughter of Honor Code won by 5 ½-lengths to give her jockey Jose Ortiz his fourth victory in the filly and mare summer classic which equals the record set by Angel Cordero Jr. who won the race in 1968, 1974, 1981 and 1987. Ortiz previously won the race with Belle Gallantey in 2014 and Elate in 2018 and 2019.
Honor D Lady retuned $6.20 as the second choice in the field of seven. Saddle Up Jessie, with Sheldon Russell, finished second a half-length in front of the even-money favorite Wet Paint, with Flavien Prat.
Abundancia, with Julio Hernandez, cut early fractions :24.07 for the quarter-mile and :49:67 for the half-mile before fading to sixth. The final time was 1:59.86 for the mile and three-sixteenths over a fast-main track.
This was the second win of the year for Honor D Lady from four starts. The Kentucky-bred trained by Saffie Joseph won the Grade III Royal Delta on February 17. Her career record is five wins from 13 starts with earnings of $708,167.
War Like Goddess returns to winning ways in Robert G. Dick Memorial
George Krikorian’s War Like Goddess returned to her winning ways with a length victory in the $250,125 Grade III Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park today.
With Junior Alvarado astride, the 7-year-old daughter of English Channel covered the mile and three-eighths in 2:16.60 over a firm turf course and returned $4.00 as the favorite in the field of six.
Chop Chop, with Flavien Prat finished second ¾-lengths in front of Vergara, with Jorge Ruiz, in third.
In her only other outing this season, War Like Goddess ran third in the Grade I New York on June 7.
“We wanted to get her back going,” said winning trainer William Mott, who won the Robert G. Dick Memorial twice before with Treat Gently in 2010 and Starformer in 2012. “She only ran once this year, she ran well, but it is always nice to get them to the winner’s circle.”
The Kentucky-bred has a career record of 12 wins from 20 starts with earnings of $2,775,184.
This is the ninth Delaware Handicap Festival of Racing stake win for trainer William Mott who has also won the Kent Stakes a record five times and the Delaware Handicap a record equaling four times.
Auto Glide takes Battery Park Stakes
Greg Compton, Mark Dean and Mike Cohea’s Auto Glide scored a hard-fought victory in the $175,000 Battery Park Stakes at Delaware Park today.
With Julien Leparoux aboard, the 4-year-old son of Tiznow won a three-way thriller by a nose over Shaft’s Bullet, with J.G. Torrealba, in second and the 8-to-5 favorite in the field of six, Movisitor with Mychel Sanchez, a neck farther back in third.
Since being claimed for $30,000 by trainer Greg Compton at Oaklawn Park on June 27, the Kentucky-bred has notched four wins from five outings.
“When I claimed him, I did not think I would be winning a stakes race with him in our fifth start, but he turned out to be really nice claim,” said winning trainer Greg Compton. “He has been completely 100% sound and just straight forward since I have had him. It has been really a joy to have him. He is a really nice horse who has proven he can overcome a lot of different things.”
Auto Glide raised his career record to five wins from 14 starts with earnings of $298,567.
