Dean Delivers holds upper hand over restricted company in Marion County Stakes

Dean Delivers stepped up from a statebred stakes score to win this year’s Grade 3 Smile Sprint, then was third in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga. Willy Boi did the same in 2022. The two meet in the $100,000 FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

The Marion County and the $100,000 FTBOA City of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes for fillies and mares, both at seven furlongs, are co-featured on the 10-race card. Both races, for 3-year-olds and up, are for Florida-breds sired by Florida stallions.

Dean Delivers, multiple graded stakes-placed in 2022 for Michael Yates, has stepped it up a notch this year as a 4-year-old. After finishing second by a neck to Weyburn in the open Sir Shackleton, he won the statebred Big Drama, both at seven furlongs. His breakthrough race came in the Smile Sprint, which he won by 2 1/4 lengths over next-out winner Big and Classy.

A productive trip to Saratoga followed, as Dean Delivers set some early pace before finishing third in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt behind reigning Eclipse Award champion Elite Power.

Coming off a break of nearly three months, Dean Delivers most recently faded to sixth in the Gil Campbell Memorial Handicap on Oct. 21 at Gulfstream Park. He is cutting back to a more preferred distance Saturday.

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Willy Boi, 5, had a very similar campaign in 2022 while trained by Jorge Delgado. After winning the Big Drama and the Smile, he was a solid third in the Vanderbilt behind champion Jackie’s Warrior. After finishing 10th when attempting the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Willy Boi bounced back to finish second by a half-length in last year’s Marion County.

This year, however, Willy Boi is winless in seven starts. After four fruitless stakes outings for Delgado, he dropped into allowance/optional-claiming company and was picked up for $62,500 by trainer Melanie Giddings. He was seventh at Aqueduct in his first start for the barn before getting a two-month freshening. Returning to Florida, he closed mildly for third in an allowance/optional claimer on Nov. 19.

In addition to a recency edge, Dean Delivers has a tactical edge in the Marion County with regular rider Emisael Jaramillo. Dean Delivers was a front-running winner of the Smile, but can sit just off speed if needed.

Willy Boi will want some pace to set up a late run under Samy Camacho, and that may not materialize with a lack of blinding speed in this race.

Dean Delivers could take the initiative on the front end or could be joined by or race just off two-time Tampa stakes winner Zydeceaux, who is drawn on the rail.

The City of Ocala is headed by the consistent and classy Atomically, who was third in the Grade 3 Forward Gal in February at seven furlongs. The filly is 9-3-2-2 lifetime, with her only unplaced efforts in Grade 1 and Grade 2 company. She is coming off an allowance/optional-claiming win at Gulfstream. She gives Jaramillo a strong one-two punch in the day’s stakes as he rides for Jose Pinchin.

Charlie’s Wish had strong form in local summer stakes for David Fawkes, finishing second in the Game Face, winning the Azalea, and finishing second in the Sheer Drama.

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