Eons gets up in time to win Stanton Stakes

Eons needed almost all of the Delaware Park stretch to get up for a half-length victory in the $50,000 Stanton Stakes on Wednesday.

Credit Swap and Five Star General alternated on the lead until the closing yards of the 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds before being overtaken by Eons, the 4-5 favorite in the four-horse field. Credit Swap finished second by a head over Five Star General but, after a lengthy stewards’ inquiry, was disqualified and placed third.

The early pace was reasonable, with fractions of 24.90 seconds, 49.37, and 1:13.10. In upper stretch, Five Star General came inward under Daniel Centeno to race closer to Credit Swap, who was along the rail. Passing the opening where the infield chute meets the main course, Credit Swap and jockey Nik Juarez were precariously close to where the rail would have been when they came outward and bumped solidly with Five Star General. Credit Swap won the battle for second but was taken down for the incident.

Eons raced several lengths off the top pair until the stretch, where he was taken to their outside. He slowly gained on the leaders, but the outcome was in doubt until deep stretch, where he finally edged by them.

Regally Irish came up empty on the far turn and finished a well-beaten fourth.

The Stanton was the third straight win for Eons, a Giant’s Causeway colt owned by Mark Grier and trained by Arnaud Delacour. Since losing his first two starts at Tampa Bay Downs over the winter, Eons has won a Keeneland maiden race by 2 1/4 lengths, a Pimlico allowance by a neck, and the Stanton.

“He ran great,” Delacour said. “He was nice and relaxed, and he came with his usual run. He has had three straight good efforts going a mile and a sixteenth, but we think he can go much longer than that. He has a big, long stride and big, strong gallop-out, so we are delighted.”

Delacour said Eons will be considered for the Grade 3, $200,000 Kent Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds at Delaware Park on July 6.

Eons paid $3.80 to win and was timed in 1:43.94 following a one-mile split of 1:37.77.

The Stanton was jockey Trevor McCarthy’s third win of the afternoon.