Dunbar Road caps big day for Brown with dominant performance in Delaware Handicap

Dunbar Road was part of trainer Chad Brown’s outstanding afternoon at the races Saturday, when she coasted to a three-length win in the Grade 2, $400,000 Delaware Handicap.

Brown also won a pair of Grade 1 races at Keeneland on Saturday, taking the Madison with Guarana and the Jenny Wiley with Rushing Fall.

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Dunbar Road ($2.40) put on a show at Delaware Park, winning in hand while signaling her intent to be a major player in the filly and mare ranks for the balance of 2020. The start was her second of the year, following a win in the $100,000 Shawnee in May at Churchill Downs.

“This is a really nice filly,” winning jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., told the publicity department at Delaware Park. “You are going to hear a lot from her – trust me.”

Dunbar Road was content to track the pace from the rail in the 1 1/8-mile stakes for fillies and mares, sitting just behind leader Bellera. Bellera set fractions of 23.84 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.32 for the half-mile, and 1:11.68 for six furlongs, pushed along by Lucky Move. Dunbar Road was angled off the rail coming into the lane, quickly took command, and went on to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:49.02.

“I got a perfect trip,” Ortiz said. “She broke really good. I was right behind the early speed, right where I wanted to be. I wanted to save some ground and then I got her out. By the three-eighths pole, I started working my way out and I had no trouble, so I just got her clear and she responded. She responded very well.”

Saracosa finished second, a length in front of third-place finisher Bellera. Vexatious and Always Shopping were scratched to run in the Grade 2 Ruffian at Belmont Park, making for a field of six in the Delaware Handicap.

Dunbar Road was winning the fourth stakes race of her career. Last year, she won the Grade 1 Alabama and Grade 2 Mother Goose.

Dunbar Road earned $240,000 for her win in the Delaware Handicap. She improved her career record to six victories from nine starts for earnings of $998,040. She is a daughter of Quality Road and she races for Peter M. Brant. Jeffery J. Drown bred Dunbar Road in Kentucky.

There were two stakes supporting the Delaware Handicap.

Gentle Ruler won the Robert G. Dick Memorial for the second year in a row when she fought past Tightly Twisted in the stretch and went on to a four-length victory. Tightly Twisted was a clear second, finishing 11 lengths in front of third-place finisher Saffron Spirit.

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The $125,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial was moved to the main track and run at 1 1/4 miles. Last year, Gentle Ruler won the race on turf at its regular distance of 1 3/8 miles.

Gentle Ruler ($2.40) on Saturday was content to stalk the pace set by Tass, who was clear through an opening quarter in 25.75 seconds, a half-mile in 49.78 and six furlongs in 1:13.87. Tightly Twisted took over from there and Gentle Ruler joined that one in the stretch, battling along the rail before going on to cover the distance on a fast track in 2:06.51.

Jockey Chris Landeros rode Gentle Ruler in last year’s Robert G. Dick Memorial, and was aboard again Saturday for Morsches Stable and trainer Ian Wilkes.

“I really did not know what to expect because of the dirt,” Landeros told publicity at Delaware Park. “She was drawing along nicely and I just tried to stay out of her way. There was a big gap on the inside at the three-eighths and I just glided her right through. She was just so game. I just had to hang on and point her in the right direction. But I am really proud of her today because the dirt is not her surface, but sometimes we have to go to Plan B. And she handled everything beautifully. She is just a lot of class and a lot of fun. I am just happy to be a part of her team.”

Gentle Ruler is a daughter of Colonel John who has now won 8 of 21 starts and earned $862,269.

Chalon ($7.40) was a 2 1/4-length winner over A Bit of Both in the $75,000 Dashing Beauty Stakes for fillies and mares. Chalon covered the six furlongs in 1:09.16. Trevor McCarthy was aboard the daughter of Dialed In for Lael Stables and trainer Arnaud Delacour.