Delaware Park: Picko’s Pride comes off the bench in Hockessin Stakes

Picko’s Pride, given a vacation after running the fastest race of his 16-race career as the runner-up in a Grade 3 stakes in April, will try to fire fresh in Thursday’s $50,000 Hockessin Stakes for sprinters at Delaware Park.

The 5-year-old Picko’s Pride finished second in last year’s running of the six-furlong Hockessin but was elevated to first when Bet the Power was disqualfied for drifting out in the stretch. Both horses are part of this year’s eight-horse field.

Picko’s Pride, 3 for 5 on Delaware’s main track, outran his 24-1 odds to finish second, beaten only three-quartrers of a length, in the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint at Oaklawn Park in April, earning a 101 Beyer. He won coming off a seven-month break at Oaklawn in March.

Bet the Power is winless in his last six starts but could move forward while making the second start of his form cycle for a trainer, Kenny Smith, who is 9 for 32 (28 percent) at the meet.

The 4-year-old Pass You Bye Bye won the six-furlong Decathlon at Monmouth Park over a sloppy track with a 99 Beyer Speed Figure two starts ago but was a dull sixth when asked to go seven furlongs last time out in the Donald LeVine at Parx.

The 9-year-old Ravalo, who has won 17 races and $1.28 million, looks for his first win since November 2011. In his lone start this year, Ravalo was last of four with a low 65 Beyer in a high-priced optional claimer at Monmouth.