Big purses fill gates with youth

Saratoga isn't the only racetrack on the East Coast where 2-year-olds have a chance to race for big money this weekend.

Delaware Park, in conjunction with the National Association of Two-Year-Old Consignors, has a pair of $200,000 stakes on its Saturday card. The Futurity for 2-year-old colts and geldings, and the Sorority for 2-year-old fillies share billing with a third stakes, the $75,000 Denise Rhudy Memorial for 3-year-old turf fillies.

Both of the 2-year-old stakes, which will be contested at six furlongs, drew full fields of 14 horses.

Del Diablo is the most accomplished horse in the Futurity. Trained by Bernie Flint, Del Diablo already has experience in two stakes. He finished fifth in the Three Chimneys Juvenile at Churchill Downs in early May, then came back later in the month to place second in the Kentucky Breeders' Cup with a Beyer Speed Figure of 75.

The most intriguing entry, however, is south Florida shipper Super Fuse. In his career debut at Calder on Aug. 3, Super Fuse won a five-furlong maiden race and earned an exceptional Beyer Figure of 99.

In the Sorority, Vibs, a filly trained by Dale Romans, has the best credentials. She earned a Beyer of 87 for her second-place finish in the Churchill Downs Debutante on July 6.

Her competition includes Confiding Winner, who is unbeaten in two starts, including the $100,000 Silver Spur Stakes at Lone Star Park; Collymore Hall, third in the Astoria at Belmont in late June; and Wildcat Annie, impressive winner of a maiden race at Ellis Park on Aug. 24.

In the co-featured Rhudy Memorial, which will be contested at 1 1/16 miles, Katzen is the horse to beat. She is 3 for 3 on grass, including a 1 3/4-length allowance victory at Monmouth in her most recent outing on Aug. 11.

Her chief rival looks like High Maintenance, a Bill Mott-trained filly who has won her last two starts, the Rockingham Oaks and an allowance at Saratoga, where she earned a career-high 90 Beyer.

* Eibar Coa, the leading rider at Monmouth Park, plans to ride full-time at Delaware until the end of the meet after Monmouth's season ends Sunday. Coa expects to get brisk business from several New Jersey-based trainers, along with Delaware regulars Michael Matz, Graham Motion, and Steve Klesaris.