Eons takes Kent Stakes by a neck for fourth straight win

Eons scored his fourth consecutive and most important victory Saturday at Delaware Park, outbattling even-money favorite Award Winner during the final quarter-mile of the Grade 3, $200,000 Kent Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds.

The Kent was the second stakes win of the afternoon for trainer Arnaud Delacour, who sent out the exacta in the $75,000 Cape Henlopen two races earlier.

Eons, a son of Giant’s Causeway owned by Mark Grier, defeated Award Winner by a neck after a hard-fought stretch battle. With Trevor McCarthy aboard, he paid $10.40 in the seven-horse field and was timed in 1:49.26 over firm turf.

Eons is now 4 for 6 and undoubtedly earned himself another graded stakes start.

“He is getting better with each day like good wine,” Delacour said. “We thought the added distance would help him, and he proved it today. I would not be opposed to even running him longer, but we will see what is available. Running him at Saratoga is definitely an option.”

Eons won his maiden by 2 1/4 lengths at Keeneland in April, but his last three victories, including a Pimlico allowance and the Stanton Stakes at Delaware, have come by less than a length.

Award Winner took the lead outside Empire of War passing the grandstand for the first time and relaxed nicely on the lead for jockey Corey Lanerie. McCarthy moved Eons up into a stalking position before reaching the backstretch and then challenged Award Winner in earnest on the far turn. The pair were inseparable down the stretch, with a determined Eons asserting himself when it counted.

Surf and Turf finished third, three lengths behind the top pair and a neck before Critical Data.

Hanford Memorial: Dr Blarney wins 20th race

Delaware Park is Dr Blarney’s home away from home, And with Suffolk Downs now closed permanently, that’s a good thing.

Dr Blarney, the king of the Massachusetts-breds, is 10 for 11 at Suffolk Downs. He improved his record at Delaware Park to 5-1-0 from seven starts with an easy victory Saturday in the Carl Hanford Memorial, a 1 1/16-mile stakes.

Dr Blarney went right to the front and was clearly best in the stretch, winning by 4 1/2 lengths with jockey Tammi Piermarini not asking him hard during the final furlong.

Just Whistle, the 8-5 favorite, edged Reride for second by a nose.

Dr Blarney, a 6-year-old gelding by Dublin, is 3 for 3 in 2019. He started the year with statebred stakes wins at Suffolk in the Rise Jim and Mr. Meso, winning by 15 1/2 and nine lengths.

Dr Blarney paid $6.40 as the second choice in the seven-horse Hanford. He was timed over a fast track in 1:43.34.

Based at Finger Lakes with trainer Karl Grusmark, Dr Blarney is 20 for 28 in his career.

Cape Henlopen: A Delacour exacta

Delacour finished one-two in the $75,000 Cape Henlopen, the first of five stakes on the card.

Canessar, the even-money favorite in the seven-horse field, raced well back for much of the 1 1/2-mile turf race under jockey Feargal Lynch but finished with a run outside horses to defeat stablemate Surprise Twist by 1 3/4 lengths. There was a dead heat for third between last year’s Cape Henlopen winner, O Dionysus, and Vettori Kin, who both finished 2 1/4 lengths behind Surprise Twist.

Canessar broke an eight-race losing streak after having won his U.S. debut in the Laurel Turf Cup in September 2017 for owner Guy Pariente.

On Saturday, the 6-year-old gelding paid $4.20 and was timed in 2:25.21 over a firm course. The $2 exacta with the Lael Stables-owned Surprise Twist paid $46.