Fair Grounds: Delaunay regains best form in Gaudin Memorial

In the winter and spring of 2012, a 5-year-old gelding named Delaunay was claimed five times in six starts. Trainer Jamie Ness had him twice. Dickie Small had him. So did Hugh McMahon and Dane Kobiskie. Trainer Tom Amoss claimed Delaunay for $40,000 in May that year, and Delaunay – never racing for a tag again -- went on a great run. He won7 of 8 starts, all stakes, including a four-length Derby Day romp in the 2013 Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap.

The magic is not gone yet.

Returning from a layoff of four months, and rebounding from defeats at Saratoga and Prairie Meadows, Delaunay successfully defended his title Saturday at Fair Grounds in the $60,000 F. W. Gaudin Memorial Stakes, dashing away from longtime rival Gantry to win by 3 1/4 lengths. He ran six furlongs under Rosie Napravnik in a meet-best 1:09.58, looking much like the Delaunay of one year ago.

“This is the old Delaunay,” Amoss said. “Whether we were going to get the old Delaunay or not today, I didn’t know. He ran a great race. I’m really proud of him. He’s a special horse.”

Delaunay, heavily bet from the start of wagering, paid $2.80 in a field reduced to five by Marchman’s scratch. Gantry, who won the Thanksgiving Handicap and was giving six pounds to the winner, held second by three-quarters of a length over stretch-running Hip Four Sixtynine.

Delaunay, who was scratched sick from the Thanksgiving – his original comeback spot – broke sharply from the rail Saturday, and what makes the gelded 7-year-old son of Smoke Glacken so special is how easily he runs so fast. Delaunay set splits of 22.15 and 45.20 seconds , and it was chasing Gantry being asked to keep up.

He couldn’t. The old Delaunay was back.