Bronx Beauty captures eventful running of Dashing Beauty Stakes

For what essentially was a match race, an awful lot went on during the $100,000 Dashing Beauty, a six-furlong stakes for fillies and mares at Delaware Park on Saturday.

Even-money favorite Bronx Beauty was not particularly keen to enter the starting gate and had to be coaxed in by the gate crew. But when the gates opened, she broke like a shot from post 2, while 6-5 second choice Ms Locust Point did not show her usual quickness from post 3 after the No. 4, Last True Love, stumbled badly.

Ms Locust Point moved up to engage Bronx Beauty for the early lead under jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. and halfway down the backstretch Jose Ortiz on Bronx Beauty was content to take back and let Ms Locust Point go on.

Vargas kept Ms Locust Point well out in the track on the far turn as Bronx Beauty began to close the gap between them. Entering the stretch, Ortiz took Bronx Beauty inside Ms Locust Point. The pair battled hard with Ms Locust Point clinging to a narrow lead into the final sixteenth before Bronx Beauty proved best late by a neck.

The Dashing Beauty was the third of five legs in the filly and mare sprint division of the MATCH Series. Ms Locust Point won the first leg, the Primonetta at Laurel Park, in April. Bronx Beauty made her series debut in the Penn Ladies Dash at Penn National on June 1, upsetting Ms Locust Point by 1 1/2 lengths.

Ms Locust Point now has 24 points (10-7-7) and leads the series by four over Bronx Beauty (10-10). Ms Locust Point also leads the overall MATCH point standings over second-place Bronx Beauty.

Bronx Beauty, who is owned by 2W Stables LLC and trained by Anthony Margotta, is now 7 for 12 in her career with earnings of $392,570. The Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Liasion paid $4.20 in the Dashing Beauty and was timed in 1:09.59. It was 12 3/4 lengths back from Ms Locust Point to third-place finisher Le Weekend.

Just a Kiss: Capla Temptress closes fast

Trainer Bill Mott shipped Capla Temptress to Delaware Park on Saturday along with Del Cap favorite Elate, and she closed from far back to win the $100,000 Just a Kiss Stakes, giving jockey Jose Ortiz his second consecutive stakes win on the card.

Capla Temptress was sent off the odds-on choice in the 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares and paid $2.80 in the seven-horse field. She was timed in 1:44.35 over firm turf.

Capla Temptress had only second-choice Lift Up beaten early in the Just a Kiss but launched a strong four-wide move on the far turn. She took the lead outside horses in midstretch, then held off Lift Up to win by a length. It was a half-length back to Quick Witted in third and another nose back to Monte Crista in fourth.

“Bill [Mott] gave me a heads up, since I never rode her before, that she could be a little bit headstrong if she is not covered up,” Ortiz said. “The main thing was to get her to relax, and she did, and she finished well.”

Capla Temptress, 4, is owned by Juddmonte Farms. The Just a Kiss is her second win since being turned over to Mott last summer. She won the Grade 3 My Charmer at Gulfstream Park last December.

Hockessin: Altissimo wire to wire

Ohio-bred invader Altissimo won the ninth race in his last 11 starts, going wire to wire in the $100,000 Hockessin, a six-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds and up.

The four-horse field broke together but Altissimo wanted the lead the most and took a clear advantage up the backstretch. He continued with determination in the stretch and pulled away to score by 5 1/2 lengths, while being timed in 1:09.31.

No Dozing, the narrow 6-5 favorite, was up in deep stretch to take second by a half-length from Always Sunshine, who also was sent off at 6-5.

Altissimo is owned by Nancy Lavrich and Ronald Zielinski and is trained by Richard Zielinski. His regular rider, Christian Pilares, came in for the mount.

The 6-year-old son of Noble Causeway paid $8.60 and was timed in 1:09.31

Altissimo is now 16 for 36 in his career with earnings of $624,388. Since April 2018, Altissimo has won seven Ohio-bred stakes at Thistledown, Mahoning Valley, and Belterra Park.

Glasgow Stakes: Parlor back in win column

Kentucky shipper Parlor broke a six-race, 14-month losing streak with a sharp victory in the $100,000 Galsgow, a 7 1/2-furlong turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up.

Parlor, who benefited from a patient ride by Jose Ortiz, was equipped with blinkers for the first time by trainer Eddie Kenneally.

Ortiz settled Parlor in fourth position early. He took the 5-year-old inside pacesetting Abiding Star in upper stretch and came through a tight opening, pulling away to win by a length. The win was Ortiz’s third in a stakes on the card.

Abiding Star finished second, a neck ahead of Paret in third.

Parlor paid $3.60 in the eight-horse field. He was timed in 1:31.17.

Parlor had dropped several close decisions over the past year, but certainly seemed focused Saturday. He has now won five of his 19 career starts.