Dean Delivers makes it look easy in Big Drama Stakes
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Dean Delivers, who held his own with some of the top older handicap horses stabled in South Florida during the 2022-23 Gulfstream Park Championship meet, took advantage of some significant class relief when dropping in against statebreds to register a popular and one-sided victory in Saturday’s $65,000 Big Drama Stakes.
Dean Delivers finished second in the Grade 3 Mr Prospector, third in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper, and fourth in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile during a three-month span earlier this winter. He came into the seven-furlong Big Drama off a second-place finish, beaten a neck by defending champion Weyburn, in the Sir Shackleton in his most recent start on April 1.
With Emisael Jaramillo replacing regular rider Miguel Vasquez, who opted to ride second-choice Starship Renegade in the Big Drama, Dean Delivers raced forwardly placed off an honest early pace set by Avant Glory and pressed by Picking Up Pennies. Dean Delivers moved readily to take control midway on the turn, settled into the stretch with a clear advantage before extending his advantage to 3 3/4 lengths while kept under steady urging to the wire.
Starship Renegade, a winner of three of his last four starts, was hustled along by Vasquez leaving the backstretch after falling well off the leaders in the run down the backstretch. Starship Renegade continued wide into the stretch and was easily second-best while never menacing the winner.
Dean Delivers, a 4-year-old son of Cajun Breeze, is trained by Michael Yates for owner-breeder Stonehedge Farm. He completed the distance in 1:23.11 over the fast track and paid $3.80 for his fourth win in 15 career starts.
“I thought he would stalk (the leaders),” Yates said. “I thought he ran as well as he’s been running and that’s all you can ask for. He runs hard every time.”
Yates said he’ll talk to the owners and come up with a game plan for Dean Delivers as the season progresses.
“We probably won’t be in a hurry to do anything,” Yates said. “I’d prefer not to have to ship him to run, so a race here like the Smile (Grade 3, $100,000 on July 1) would be most likely.”
*** Wide West contested the pace, then held on gamely to withstand a stretch-long bid from Harry Time to upset the $75,000 Roar for 3-year-old fillies going five furlongs on the turf. Dr Oseran, the 8-5 favorite, was placed third following the disqualification of Portofino.
Wide West, an Irish-bred daughter of Frankel, is trained by Tom Proctor for Glen Hill Farm. The win was her second straight and came on the heels of an equally game allowance victory over the Tapeta strip here four weeks ago.
Edwin Gonzalez rode Wide West, who paid $15.20 after completing the distance in 56.82 over the firm course.
*** Earlier in the day, Choose Joy returned to the top of her division for the first time in 19 months after wearing down pace setter Fulminate to register a half-length triumph in a race decided under handicap conditions for older fillies and mares going five furlongs on the grass.
Choose Joy was the undisputed queen of the local filly and mare turf/synthetic track sprinters throughout the 2021 campaign before going to the sidelines for an extended vacation after suffering a soft-tissue injury winning a similarly conditioned dash over the Tapeta track in October of that season. She was winless in three starts on the comeback trail before breaking through with her victory on Saturday.
Choose Joy toted 123 pounds, three less than high-weight One Identity, including her regular rider Vasquez. She also overcame the extreme outside post in a full field of 12 horses, benefitting from a perfectly judged ride to overtake the leader in the final strides.
One Identity never showed her usual speed, finishing a non-threatening seventh in her first start since capturing the Lady’s Turf Sprint at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 11.
Choose Joy, a 6-year-old mare by Munnings, is owned by her trainer Steve Dwoskin. She returned $7.00 as the tepid favorite.
“She ran like she was supposed to and the jockey was excellent, rode her perfectly, he did exactly what I asked him to,” said Dwoskin. “Now she’s back on top of her division again. I don’t go anywhere. She’ll keep running here.”
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