Bruanna goes after fifth consecutive win

If Delaware Park presented an award to the season's most improved filly sprinter, Bruanna would be the likely winner.

Since late May, when she was running for a $35,000 claiming tag, Bruanna has reeled off four consecutive wins while rising in class to stakes company. The last two wins have come since the 4-year-old Bruanna was claimed by trainer Mike Gorham.

Bruanna will seek to extend her winning streak to five races when she tries for her second stakes triumph in Monday's $55,000 Veiled Look, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares.

In her most recent outing July 21, Bruanna survived an early speed duel to win the Light Hearted Stakes by a length, earning a Beyer Speed of Figure of 90.

Urban Dancer, one of the fillies who chased Bruanna in the Light Hearted, is back to take another crack at her. A two-time stakes winner this season for trainer Tim Ritchey, Urban Dancer rebounded to win the West Virginia Secretary of State at Mountaineer Park, earning a career-best 95 Beyer, on Aug. 10.

Trainer Scott Lake entered three horses, but since he named Clinton Potts to ride all three, only one is likely to run. The most intriguing of Lake's horses is Tax Affair, a winner of more than $358,000 lifetime.

Tax Affair is accustomed to running much longer distances. Each of her last two starts, in fact, were at 1 1/8 miles. But she has been in front after six furlongs in two of her last three starts, including a stakes at Mountaineer which she won with a 97 Beyer.

Black gets 4,500th victory

Anthony Black has spent much of his long career as a jockey riding run-of-the-mill claiming horses. He reached a career milestone Saturday in a $200,000 stakes.

Black picked up a mount late on Revved Up for trainer Christophe Clement and guided the 4-year-old gelding to victory in the Caesar Rodney Handicap at Delaware Park.

It was Black's 4,500th victory in a career that began in 1970 at now-defunct Liberty Bell Park in Philadelphia.

"It puts a nice light on your whole career that I just didn't win only the claiming races, even though they were the bread and butter," he said.

Black, who will turn 51 on Sept. 4, said he would like to stick around long enough to reach 5,000.

"I would like to do it in three or four years. If it does not happen, that's all right," he said. "My career feels like it has been a success up to this point and whatever I do from here is gravy. But I still feel good riding and I think I can reach 5,000."

Revved Up ($18.20) covered 1 1/8 miles over a yielding turf course in 1:51.02. Black sat patiently with his mount for the first six furlongs, then asked him to move coming around the far turn. Revved Up drew clear from a pack of horses and finished 4 1/2 lengths in front of runner-up Rochester.

Navesink, the 2-1 favorite, never threatened and finished fifth in the field of eight older horses.