Delaware Park: Zucchini Flower looking sharp for Christiana

Zucchini Flower, who missed by a nose coming off a freshening in the Twin Lights at Monmouth Park late last month, may be poised for a breakthrough in Saturday’s $50,000 Christiana Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/8 miles on turf at Delaware Park.

Trained by Graham Motion, Zucchini Flower is 0 for 3 on grass, but produced the best race of her 10-race career on Aug. 26 when she lost in a photo to wire-to-wire winner Closing Range. Zucchini Flower came home her last three furlongs in the nine-furlong Twin Lights in an excellent 34.55 seconds.

Motion is 6 for 23 (26 percent) with fillies and mares making their second start off a layoff going long on turf in a non-graded stakes.

The most consistent filly in the 11-horse field has been Filare l’Oro, who has recorded Beyer Speed Figures of 75-76-75-76 in her last four starts, including a close second in the Grade 3 Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs and a win in the $100,000 Dauphin Miss at Penn National. Turf conditions do not seem to matter to Filare l’Oro, who has run well on firm, soft, and yielding ground.

The field also includes Welcome Dance, second after setting the pace in the Dauphin Miss; Vanishing, who makes her turf debut for trainer Jonathan Sheppard after five races – four of them good performances – on Tapeta at Presque Isle; and Charged Cotton, who stretches out after winning her first try in a route locally on Aug. 20. Charged Cotton, who drew the outside post in the Christiana, is cross-entered against Maryland-breds in the All Brandy at Laurel.