Silver Slugger with Sonny Leon up. (Delaware Park Photo)
Cooke Creek Takes Battery Park
Regaled Rallies For Delaware Handicap
Delaware Park Racing News & Notes
WILMINGTON, Del.— Victoria’s Ranch’s Silver Slugger fought off multiple challenges before taking the $100,500 Wilmington Stakes at Delaware Park today.
With Sonny Leon aboard, the 5-year-old son of Cairo Prince prevailed by a neck over Ninja Warrior, with Jamie Rodriguez. It was another 1 ¾-lengths farther back to Showstopper Copper, with Angel Rodriguez, in third. Silver Slugger survived a claim of foul by the trainer of Showstopper Copper, Thomas Lingenfelter, for interference in the stretch run.
Silver Slugger returned $6.00 as the favorite in the field of six. The Kentucky-bred trained by Juan Carlos Avila cut early fractions of :22.37 for the quarter mile and :45.57 for the half mile before completing the six furlongs in 1:11.14 over a muddy main track.
“He has a lot of speed, so I just wanted to make sure we were in front,” said winning jockey Sonny Leon. “He is the kind of horse when another horse is behind him, he keeps going. He really dug in today and fought.”
Silver Slugger raised his career record to nine wins from 15 starts with earnings of $289,260.
Cooke Creek Takes Battery Park Stakes
Flying P Stable’s Cooke Creek notched a front running victory in the $200,000 Battery Park Stakes at Delaware Park today.
With leading jockey Jamie Rodriguez aboard, the 6-year-old son of Uncle Mo won by 3-lengths and returned $15.20. The Kentucky-bred trained by Michael Maker ran early fractions of :49.16 for the half mile and 1:12.68 before completing the mile and an eighth in 1:50.91 over a muddy main track.
Awesome Aaron, with Micah Husbands, finished second a neck in front of the 4-to-5 favorite Gould’s Gold with Julien Leparoux.
“Everything worked out as I expected,” said winning rider Jamie Rodriguez. “I wanted to get out front and control it. That is what we did. Everything worked out well and I we got the big money.”
Cooke Creek raised his career record to six wins from 26 starts with earnings of $598,867. He also remained unbeaten at Delaware Park in three starts. As a 2-year-old, he broke his maiden in his career debut and followed with his first career stake win in the $50,000 Rocky Run Stakes.
Regaled Rallies For Delaware Handicap
Ribble Farms and Front Page Equestrian’s Regaled rallied to take the $392,000 Grade III Delaware Handicap today.
With Joseph Ramos aboard, the 4-year-old daughter of Mohaymen won by 6 1/4-lengths and returned $8.40 as the third choice in the field of five. Runaway Diva, with Julien Leparoux, was second.
The 4-to-5 favorite, Dazzling Move with Micah Husbands, cut early fractions of :47.02 for the half mile and 1:10.99 for the three-quarter miles before finishing third 10 ¾-lengths behind the winner. The final time for the mile and an eighth was 1:50.94 over a muddy track.
Regaled raised her career record to four wins from 17 starts with earnings of $498,810. The Delaware Handicap was the first graded win for the Kentucky-bred trained by D. Whitworth Beckman.
“She broke sharp today and she tried to drag me into the first turn, so I was trying to get her to relax a little bit because I know her move is from coming off the pace,” said winning rider Joseph Ramos. “She settled nicely and at three-eighths I tapped her, and I she jumped forwarded. At that point, I knew I had them. I was actually running out of googles on the backside because the track was muddy and sticky. Everything was sticking to them, but I was thinking I need to have at least one left to bring this home. I kept pushing and going and she responded. In the stretch she was strong, and I am super proud of the way she ran today.”
