Delta Bluesman has to work hard to prevail as 3-5 favorite in Hall of Fame
Delta Bluesman won the $100,000 Hall of Fame Stakes at Parx Racing as a heavy favorite Saturday, but his supporters weren't counting their money until the closing yards of the five-furlong sprint.
Delta Bluesman can reliably be found on the lead in his races but in the Hall of Fame he was outsprinted for the top by Pomeroy's Package - the longest price in the five-horse field at 33-1 - and Rainbow Heir, the 5-2 second choice.
On the far turn, Always Sunshine moved up outside the leaders and 3-5 Delta Bluesman was blocked behind them. Jockey Emisael Jaramillio thought about splitting horses but then had to steady nearing the stretch. He took Delta Bluesman inside the trio in upper stretch and was up in the final sixteenth to win by a length.
Delta Bluesman, owned by Monster Racing Stables and trained by Jorge Navarro, paid $3.60 and was timed in 57.45 seconds. Pomeroy's Package came on again late to be second, a neck ahead of Rainbow Heir, who appeared to take a short lead nearing the sixteenth pole. It was a head back from Rainbow Heir to Always Sunshine in fourth.
Delta Bluesman has now crossed the wire first in five of his last six races, even though in May he was disqualified from the win in the Decathlon Stakes at Monmouth Park. In July, he scored his biggest career victory with Jaramillio aboard in the Grade 2 Smile Sprint at Gulfstream Park. The only time he failed to finish first this summer came when he was fourth in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga.
A $30,000 claim by Navarro in October 2014 at Gulfstream Park West, 6-year-old Delta Bluesman is now 10 for 45 in his career with earnings of $511,437.