Power Squeeze Tops Field of Seven in G3 Delaware Oaks

Power Squeeze wins the Gulfstream Park Oaks (Juliana Colombo/Past The Wire)

Chris Sobocinski/Delaware Park

WILMINGTON, Del. —Lea Farm’s Power Squeeze tops a field of seven entered in the $300,000 Grade III Delaware Oaks this Saturday.  The mile and a sixteenth affair has been carded as the ninth race with an approximate post time of 4:30pm.

The daughter of Union Rags has a career record of four wins, a second and a third from eight starts with earnings of $412,450.  In her most recent, she ran third in the Grade I Acorn Stakes at Saratoga on June 7.  Previously, the Kentucky-bred trained by Jorge Delgado ran sixth in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 3.

Last year, she broke her maiden at Delaware Park, which was the first of four straight victories.  She followed with a 5-length score in the one mile $150,000 Cash Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park, a 2 ¾-length triumph in the mile and 40 yard $150,000 Suncoast at Tampa and a length win in the mile and a sixteenth Grade II Gulfstream Park Oaks.

The last filly to break her maiden at Delaware Park and also win the Delaware Oaks was the Tim Ritchey trainee Dancing Afleet in 2013.

Juddmonte’s Sidamara may be peaking at just the right time.  After finishing second in her career debut at Gulfstream Park on March 6, the daughter of Arrogate broke her maiden going a mile and a sixteenth at Keeneland on April 7.  In her most recent, the Kentucky-bred posted a 3 ¼-length victory in a mile and a sixteenth allowance at Churchill Downs on May 3.  She has a career record of two wins and a second from three starts with earnings of $144,935.

“She is doing quite well and developing nicely,” said trainer William Mott.  “We are hoping she runs well which will encourage us to consider the Alabama at Saratoga in August.”

Since the race was inaugurated in 1938, 15 of the 72 Delaware Oaks winners have followed with a victory in the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga.

William Mott will be looking for his first Delaware Oaks victory, but he has had success in the Delaware Handicap Festival of Racing stakes since the festival was started in 1996.  Mott has won four Delaware Handicaps, which equals the record set by Henry Clark and duplicated by Todd Pletcher; a record five Kent Stakes; and two Robert G. Dick Memorials.

Peter Callahan and James Reiley McDonald’s Ringy Dingy will be seeking her first victory of the year after having an eventful race in her 2024 debut in the mile and an eighth Grade II Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico on May 17.Last year, she won her first career stakes at Delaware Park by capturing the White Clay Creek Stakes after breaking her maiden at Belmont at Aqueduct.  She has a career record of two wins from five starts with earnings of $119,200.

“She is doing really good and coming into the Oaks great,” said trainer Danny Gargan.  “In the Black-Eyed Susan, she ran a nice race considering that was her first start in some time and she did not have the best of trips.  She got roughed up a little bit, but still ran a very respectable race, so we are excited to get her back and for her to have this opportunity in the Delaware Oaks.  She is a nice filly and hopefully this will be the race where she gets her first graded victory.  It will be tough because she is facing some nice fillies, but she likes the track, so hopefully Saturday will be her day.”

$300,000 Grade III Delaware Oaks for  3-year-old fillies at a mile and a sixteenth