Delaware: Ride the Tiger wins easily

Ride the Tiger ($3.40) took advantage of the absence of two of his most formidable rivals to score a 3 1/4-length victory in the $100,000 First State Stakes at Delaware Park.

A Maryland-bred 2-year-old trained by Tim Ritchey and ridden by Jeremy Rose, Ride the Tiger covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:49.99 for his second win in five lifetime starts.

The field was reduced to four horses when the first two choices on the morning line, Invent and Soul of the Tiger, were scratched.