Delfos wins French Derby prep

Delfos was a handy 2 1/2-length winner at Saint-Cloud Wednesday of the Prix La Force, a Group 3 contest that has produced a number of French Derby winners in recent years.

Trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias and ridden by Olivier Peslier, Delfos has now won three in a row, the previous two coming in allowance races. Sent off at 2-1 in a four-runner race, Delfos got the 1 1/4 miles on good to soft ground in 2:08.40. His victory over Young Tiger, who had finished fourth, 3 1/4 lengths behind Voix du Nord, in the Group 2 Prix Noailles on April 11, puts him in the Prix du Jockey-Club picture.

* Preparations for the June 5 Epsom Derby continue on Friday with the Dee Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile, 75-yard Group 3 race at Chester Racecourse won last year by subsequent Derby winner Kris Kin. The preference is for the David Loder-trained Andean, who won a maiden race by seven lengths at Yarmouth in his last outing.