Delaware Park: Kobiskie eyes sweep of split Strike Your Colors

Maryland-based trainer Dane Kobiskie and his primary client, PTK LLC, came within a whisker of finishing one-two-three with the 2-year-olds they ran in the Chenery Stakes on closisng day at Colonial Downs earlier this month. Two of those runners are wheeling right back and have a good chance of sweeping split divisions of Monday’s Strike Your Colors Stakes at Delaware Park. Both divisions are worth $50,000 and will be contested at 5 1/2 furlongs on the main track.

My Corinthian, narrowly beaten as the 6-5 favorite in the Chenery and third in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs, is among eight 2-year-olds in the first division, which goes as race 6. Rope, nosed out for third while making his turf debut in the July 13 Chenery, returns to the main track, where he is 2 for 2, in the second division (race 8).

My Corinthian has gotten the lead in all three of his starts, including the Bashford Manor, where he went the opening quarter-mile in 20.93 seconds. He followed up that effort by dueling up front before missing by a head to stablemate Silvertonguedtommy in the Chenery, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint.

The first division also includes locally based Long On Value, unbeaten in two starts, and Churchill shipper Sandbar, whose chances in the Bashford Manor were compromised when he stumbled.

Long On Value won his career debut locally at 17-1 odds on dirt and then came from slightly off the pace to win the Jamestown for Virginia-breds on the Colonial Downs turf.

Sandbar, from the high-profiile connections of trainer Neil Howard and owner Will Farish, has yet to finish first in two starts, but was credited with a win by disqualification in his career debut. That June 8 maiden race at Churchill has proven to be a key event. Two horses who finished behind Sandbar, fourth-place Mister Pollard and seventh-place Richies Party Girl, both came back to win their next start, which came at Indiana Downs and Belmont Park, respectively.

Kobiskie and PTK will send out Rope as a prime contender among eight 2-year-olds in the second division. Rope ran extremely well in his two previous starts on dirt, essentially pairing up Beyer Speed Figures of 72 and 71 while finishing second by a head at Pimlico and winning by 3 1/4 lengths at Churchill Downs.

His challengers include Theoryofrelativity, a winner by nearly six lengths in his career debut locally against $25,000 maiden claimers; Salt Life, a 4 1/4-length winner against Pennsylvania-breds at Penn National in his lone start; and No Fruit Degroote, who returns to Delaware, where he won his career debut, after an unsuccessful experiment on Polytrack in the $135,000 Victoria at Woodbine.