Still Game Should Relish Distance in White Clay Creek 

Delaware starting gate. (Hoofprints, Inc., photo)

Chris Sobocinski/Delaware Park

WILMINGTON, Del.—Michael Bishop, Thomas Bowman and Christina Bowman’s Still Game should relish the added distance when she faces ten rivals in $100,000 White Clay Creek Stakes at Delaware Park this Friday. The stake for 2-year-old fillies drew a field of 13 but is limited to ten starters due to the one-mile distance. The White Clay Creek Stakes has been carded as the seventh with a scheduled approximate post time of 3:30 p.m.

Still Game has had two career starts both at Delaware Park. The daughter of Frosted closed from off pace to break her maiden by a nose in her career debut going five and a half furlongs on August 2. The Maryland-bred conditioned by long-time Delaware-based trainer Lynn Ashby followed by running sixth after bobbling at the start in the six-furlong Delaware-bred or certified restricted $100,000 Small Wonder over a muddy track on September 27.

“I know she wants to stretch, so we are looking forward to trying her longer and two-turns,” said trainer Lynn Ashby. “This will be another test for her, but there is nothing like being right at home. She has been working and racing at Delaware so there is no better place for her to take the test. Her breeding suggests she should enjoy more ground, so we are pretty excited about this opportunity.”

Co-owner Michael Bishop agrees and is eager to see Still Game go longer and around two-turns.

“We certainly did not expect she would run well enough to win in her career debut going five and a half furlongs,” said owner Michael Bishop.

“Plus, she missed the break and was wide for a good part of the race. She showed some guts, and we were impressed. Lynn (Ashby) is terrific with 2-year-olds. She is very patient, and she lets the horses tell her when they are ready. This filly has come along really nicely and has done everything Lynn asked her to do. We just feel like this a great chance for her and if we are going to take a shot, her home track is the best place to do it.”  

The slight morning-line favorite is Peter Callahan & James Reiley McDonald’s Ringy Dingy. In her most recent, the daughter of Dialed In broke her maiden by 1 ¾-lengths going six furlongs at Belmont at Aqueduct on September 17. Previously, the Kentucky-bred trained by Danny Gargan ran fifth at Saratoga on July 30 in her career debut.

Fletcher Gray and Carolyn & Doug Hesterty’s Peignoir rates as the second choice. In her most recent, the daughter of Mendelssohn broke her maiden by 8 ¼-lengths going one mile at Ellis Park on August 26. Previously, the Kentucky-bred trained by Rodolphe Brisset ran fourth at Ellis Park on July 31 in her career debut.  

$100,000 White Clay Creek Stakes, For 2-year-old fillies at a mile