Barbaro's little brother Lentenor returns in turf allowance

Lentenor, a full brother to 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, will return to the turf after a one-race experiment on dirt in the Florida Derby in Tuesday’s featured eighth race at Delaware Park.

Lentenor is among the main body of 10 3-year-olds in an optional $40,000 claimer that is also open to allowance runners who have never won two races. The race, scheduled for 7 1/2 furlongs on grass, also has three horses on the also-eliigible list.

Trained by Michael Matz, Lentenor has not run since a three-race campaign earlier this year at Gulfstream Park. Most recently, he was fourth, beaten 5 3/4 lengths, in the Florida Derby on March 20. Previously, he ran second, beaten a half-length, going 1 1/8 miles on turf in an allowance and won his maiden by 3 1/2 lengths going 1 1/16 miles on grass.

In preparation for his return, Lentenor has worked out four times in the past month at the Fair Hill Training Center, including a five-furlong bullet in 1:00.20 last Wednesday. His Beyer Figures of 88 and 87 earned early this year at Gulfstream are the best in Tuesday's field.

Although this will be Letenor’s Delaware Park debut, his two siblings, Barbaro and Nicanor, were a combined 4 for 4, winning by a collective 28 lengths, on Delaware’s grass course.

Inauguration, trained by Jonathan Sheppard, may be Lentenor's keenest competition. Inaguration drops in class out of a fifth-place finish in the Capital City Stakes at Penn National. Prior to that, Inaguration posted back-to-back Beyers of 81 and 80 facing maidens at Penn National and Delaware.