Gamay Noir follows familiar path for Wolfson in Obeah Stakes

Florida-based trainer Marty Wolfson repeats a successful pattern when he ships in Gamay Noir for Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Obeah Stakes at Delaware Park. The 1 1/8-mile Obeah is the local prep for the meet’s biggest race, the Grade 1, $750,000 Delaware Handicap on July 12.

Gamay Noir, the only graded stakes winner in a field of eight fillies and mares for the Obeah, also is the highweight at 124 pounds. She will be ridden for the first time by Daniel Centeno while breaking from post 7.

In her two most recent races, Gamay Noir upset the Grade 3 Rampart at 49-1 at Gulfstream Park and rallied mildly to get third in the Grade 3 Sixty Sails Handicap at Hawthorne. That pattern closely resembles that of Miss Singhsix, who finished third in those same two graded events before coming to Delaware to win the 2010 running of the Obeah. She then finished second to Life At Ten in the Delaware Handicap.[bc_video_id:327298:]

Viable alternatives to the probable favorite include Montana Native, Blue Violet, and Zucchini Flower.

Montana Native, the winner of the $200,000 Remington Oaks in her final start as a 3-year-old last fall, regained her good form when she led wire to wire in the 1 1/16-mile Winter Melody locally May 21. Trainer Christophe Clement’s record with last-out winners returning in a graded stakes route on dirt is 2 for 7 (29 percent), with a high $5.37 return on investment. That total includes last weekend’s 9-1 victory by Tonalist in the Belmont Stakes.

Blue Violet wasn’t close in two tries against graded stakes competition last season, but her 2014 form is much improved, with three straight good performances, including a runner-up finish, 1 1/4 lengths behind Montana Native, in the Winter Melody.

Trainer Larry Jones said he expects that Blue Violet, a daughter of Curlin out of the Silver Deputy mare Gasia, will appreciate the nine furlongs of the Obeah.

“Curlin used to run all day, and the more distance you gave him, the better he performed, similar to Blue Violet,” said Jones, who won the 2005 Delaware Handicap with Island Sand and was second by a nose with Havre de Grace in the 2011 running. “I am expecting her to get better the longer she goes. I also trained her mommy, Gasia, and I see a lot of similarities with her as well.”

Zucchini Flower, trained by Graham Motion, makes the second start of her form cycle following a runner-up finish in the Monmouth Beach at Monmouth Park three weeks ago. Motion is 0 for his last 8 with dirt-route runners making their second start off a layoff in a graded stakes.