Big day on two fronts for Delacours

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Arnaud and Leigh Delacour have made Tampa Bay Downs their winter home since the 2007-08 season, and during that time horseplayers have learned runners from the Delacour operation should never be taken lightly.

On Saturday, the stable was active on two fronts, starting horses at both Tampa and Keeneland.

Arnaud was in Lexington, Ky., to saddle his outstanding 3-year-old Divining Rod in the Grade 3, $250,000 Lexington and the crack turf sprinter Ageless in the $100,000 Giant’s Causeway Stakes.

Divining Rod, who came into the Lexington off a solid third behind Carpe Diem in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby, showed his versatility by changing tactics and racing just off the early pace in the 1 1/16-mile Lexington and then swung three wide into the stretch to roll past the leaders for a very professional three-length win.

The win further solidifies Divining Rod’s standing as a legitimate Triple Crown series contender. Delacour and Divining Rod’s owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson of Lael Stables, have indicated they would like to race Divining Rod in the Preakness on May 16. What a story that would be if Divining Rod were able to capture the second leg of the Triple Crown over the same track where the Jackson’s brilliant Barbaro made his final start.

As for Ageless, she turned in a very good effort in her first start since finishing fourth at 36-1 in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint against males, running second in the Giant’s Causeway going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.

Back at Tampa, the Delacours were 2 for 2 as So Festive won a claiming route on turf while Against the Win notched his second straight turf sprint win with a late rally in the five-furlong allowance feature.

In addition to the strong showings by the Delacour runners, the quality and competitive nature of Tampa Bay runners was confirmed in several other races on Saturday at Keeneland.

Ball Dancing topped a 1-2-3 finish in the Grade 1, $300,000 Jenny Wiley Stakes by horses who had run at Tampa Bay in their last starts. Runner-up Filimbi had finished fifth behind Ball Dancing when that one was runner-up to Stephanie’s Kitten in the Grade 3 Hillsborough Stakes, while third-place finisher Hard Not to Like had finished first in the Endeavour over the Tampa Bay turf before being disqualified and placed second.

Neck ’n Neck came off a third to General a Rod in the Challenger Stakes to run second behind odds-on favorite Protonico in the Grade 3 Ben Ali, while Tom Proctor and Kellyn Gorder, two more trainers who wintered at Tampa, finished first and second, respectively, in a tough second-level allowance route over the turf with Savings Account and Queenie’s Song.