Distance a question for Angel At War in Winter Melody Stakes

A field of 12 fillies and mares, many of whom are looking to regain their best form, will meet Wednesday in the $50,000 Winter Melody at Delaware Park.

Angel At War and Hey Niki have been running well but face tricky assignments in the 1 1/16-mile Winter Melody.

Angel At War, a winner of 7 of 16 races trained by Michael Gorham, will be making her first start beyond seven furlongs. The Winter Melody will be her third start around two turns. She finished fourth going two turns in the 6 1/2-furlong Timonium Distaff in August and second in the seven-furlong Dance to Bristol at Charles Town in April. She was beaten 1 1/2 lengths in both races.

Hey Niki is 3 for 4 in her career and the most lightly raced entrant in the field. A 3-year-old daughter of Include, she successfully stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for trainer Tom Proctor in her most recent start but will be facing much more seasoned opponents Wednesday in her stakes debut.

Bishop’s Pond is the horse to beat but has weakened in each of her starts following a four-month layoff. Trained by Jason Servis, she has good speed at this distance and will be especially dangerous if she makes the lead. The 6-year-old’s most recent win came in the one-mile Thirty Eight Go Go in January at Laurel Park.

Ready to Confess and Sine Wave are coming off layoffs.

Sine Wave will be making her second start of the year and her first since May. In her lone start at 4, she finished third in a third-level optional claimer at Monmouth Park. Trained by Ben Perkins Jr., she fits here off a top effort but her lack of a recent race is a concern.

Ready to Confess is a Pin Oak Stable homebred who will be making her first start for Graham Motion. Ready to Confess has not raced since finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic in January.

A winner of 4 of 16 starts and $367,000, the 5-year-old has worked 13 times at Fair Hill since June 29. Ready to Confess won the She’s All In Stakes at Remington Park in December.

Tequilita has run evenly in three races since finishing third in the Grade 2 Ruffian at Belmont Park in May. The graded winner of $586,000 has plenty of back class but will have to overcome post 12.

◗ Delaware Park will race Monday, Oct. 15, as a make-up date for the July 2 card that was canceled due to extreme heat.

The Delaware meet concludes Oct. 20. The track will operate on its normal schedule this week and then race Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday closing week.