Delaware: Stephanoatsee surges in stretch to take Barbaro

Stephanoatsee remained perfect in two starts at Delaware Park when he came from off the pace to collect his first stakes victory in the $100,000 Barbaro Stakes for 3-year-olds.

The Barbaro, contested at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, was the richest of five stakes on the Owners Day program.

Ridden by Sheldon Russell for trainer Graham Motion, Stephanoatsee ($4.80) made a late surge along the rail in deep stretch to run down stretch-out sprinter Adirondack King and score by three-quarters of a length. Traffic Light, part of a three-way battle up front with Adirondack King and My Adonis, finished third. The winning time was 1:44.79.

Stephanoatsee, a son of A.P. Indy owned by Meadowview Farm, was making his third start following an extended break between January and August. He won an off-the-turf first-level optional claimer going 1 1/8 miles at Delaware before finishing fourth, beaten 2 3/4 lengths, in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby. He has now won 3 of 7 starts and $198,000.

* Win Willy ($2.60) was hand-ridden to a 4 3/4-length win in the $77,250 Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Governor’s Day. The 6-year-old Win Willy, now 10 for 26 lifetime with earnings of $953,627, ran a mile and 70 yards in 1:41.33.

* Bryan’s Jewel ($5.60), the favorite in a field of nine fillies and mares, ended a string of three straight second-place finishes by scoring a 1 1/4-length victory in the $75,000 George Rosenberger Memorial. In winning for the first time since last November, Bryan’s Jewel, ridden by Ricardo Santana for trainer Mac Robertson, covered 1 1/16 miles on good turf in 1:46.22.

* Missy Rules ($13.40) led wire to wire to score by 2 3/4 lengths in the $60,000 Small Wonder for Delaware-certified 2-year-old fillies. Ridden by Jose Caraballo for trainer Randy Nunley, Missy Rules ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:05.92.

* Escrow Kid ($3.20), making his first start off a $50,000 claim by Tony Dutrow, scored a front-running two-length victory under Jeremy Rose in the $60,000 New Castle for Delaware-certified sprinters. He ran six furlongs in 1:09.98.