Delaware: Cherokee Country challenges

Philadelphia Park-based trainer Ramon Preciado came within a neck of beating Bill Place in the Grade 3 Bay Shore at Aqueduct a month ago. Preciado will try Bill Place again, this time with Cherokee Country, in the $75,000 Francis "Jock" LaBelle Memorial at Delaware Park.

Cherokee Country is cutting back to his best distance, six furlongs, after finishing fourth to the highly regarded Etude in the one-mile Private Terms at Laurel.

Bill Place, trained by Tony Dutrow, has never finished worse than second in seven lifetime starts. The 8-5 favorite on the track's morning line, Bill Place will be ridden for the first time by Rosie Napravnik.