Aqueduct: Delightful Quality opts for softer spot in Cagey Exuberance Stakes

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

Delightful Quality seeks her first stakes win in the Cagey Exuberance.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – While Delightful Quality would have garnered some attention from bettors in next Saturday’s $100,000 Correction Stakes, her connections opted to go for an easier spot in Sunday’s $75,000 Cagey Exuberance Stakes at Aqueduct.

The Cagey Exuberance, run at six furlongs, is restricted to fillies and mares who have never won a stakes race. A field of five was entered.

Delightful Quality, a half-sister to 2005 juvenile filly champion Folklore owned and bred by Darley Stable, finished second to My Miss Aurelia in an overnight stakes at Saratoga last August. Since then, she has only run twice, finishing second to Ullapool in a swiftly run (1:08.82) allowance heat at Belmont in September and third in the Garland of Roses on Dec. 1.

Tom Albertrani, trainer of Delightful Quality, said he thought his filly could have been closer to the pace than she was the last time under Cornelio Velasquez.

“I thought Cornelio took her back a little too much last time,” said Albertarni, who switches to Eddie Castro for this spot. “He ended up trying to save ground, but he came wider trying to make a run.”

Delightful Quality will break from the rail Sunday in a race that appears to have other speed in Celtic Chant and McCarron Park.

“It looks like there’s a little speed outside of her, but she has speed herself,” Albertrani said. “I’m not too concerned with the rail.”

Coming out of a fourth-place finish in a $25,000 claimer, Joonbi may get overlooked in this spot. But she has run fast enough in the past to make her competitive in this modest group.

Nick Canani, who claimed Joonbi for $35,000 last August, felt that Joonbi also was compromised by a tough trip in her last race and should move forward off the effort.

“The other day, she didn’t have the best of trips – she was checked at the half-mile pole and we were wide,” Canani said. “I do think she needed the race, and I think she’s going to improve a lot off it.”

Celtic Chant comes off a front-running allowance win at Laurel Park on Jan. 5, but has won over the inner track in the past. McCarren Park makes her first start since June for the Steve Asmussen stable. Enchante, who was supplemented to this race by her connections, comes off a third in the What a Summer Stakes at Laurel on Jan. 12.