Delaware Park: Tiz Miz Sue a proven winner on the main track

Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography

Tiz Miz Sue, with Joe Rocco Jr. riding, wins the Azeri.

One of the few certainties about the field for Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Obeah Stakes is that Tiz Miz Sue has an affinity for Delaware Park’s main track.

With track monring-line 7-5 favorite Pachattack unlikely to run because she is cross-entered in Saturday’s Grade 3 All Along on turf at Colonial Downs, Tiz Miz Sue could wind up a much shorter price than her morning-line odds of 9-5.

The 1 1/8-mile Obeah serves as the local prep for the meet’s premier event, the Grade 2, $750,000 Delaware Handicap on July 21.

In 5 previous starts at Delaware, the 5-year-old Tiz Miz Sue has collected 4 wins and a second. The runner-up in last year’s Obeah to Horse of the Year Havre de Grace, Tiz Miz Sue will be making her first start since finishing third in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom two months ago at Oaklawn Park.

Trainer Steve Hobby said that Tiz Miz Blue, winner of the Grade 3 Azeri in March, shows signs of maturity.

“This year, she has grown up a little bit,” Hobby said. “She is relaxing better, which gives us a lot more flexibility with her. We used to have to kind of fight her and get her covered up, but now she is a lot more professional. She has always trained and raced well over the Delaware surface, so we are hoping she continues to have success here. The Delaware Handicap is certainly in the plans, especially if she has a solid outing this Saturday.”

As of Thursday, trainer Graham Motion said Pachattack, 0 for 2 lifetime on dirt, would probably ship to Virginia to run on grass in the All Along. She would then probably come back to Delaware for the Grade 3 Robert Dick Memorial, a 1 3/8-mile turf race on July 14.

Tiz Miz Sue’s chief competition might come from the Todd Pletcher-trained Love and Pride, who has finished second in a pair of graded stakes this season and owns a 2-for-3 record at Delaware. Most recently, Love and Pride missed by a head in the Grade 3 Allaire Du Pont Distaff at Pimlico.

Suroof steps up to stakes company for the first time after winning back-to-back starts at Parx.

“She deserves a chance in this stake,” said trainer Tony Dutrow. “She has been impressive with her last two victories.”