Hailey's Flip, Winplaceorshowono looking to repeat in stakes

Delaware Park played host to nationally prominent runners in its graded stakes over the summer, including Elate, Red Ruby, Coach Rocks, and Unbridled Mo. But on Saturday, the spotlight turns to local talent.

Delaware cards six stakes on Saturday, four of them $100,000 events for Delaware-bred or -certified runners, along with a pair of $75,000 races for horses who have started at Delaware in 2018. To be Delaware certified, a horse must have stayed on a farm registered by the Delaware Certified Thoroughbred Program for at least 90 days as a weanling or yearling.

The $100,000 Tax Free Shopping Distaff for fillies and mares and the $100,000 New Castle Stakes for 3-year-olds and up, both at six furlongs, drew defending winners Hailey’s Flip and Winplaceorshowono.

Hailey’s Flip finished second to fellow Maryland-bred standout Crabcakes in the Miss Disco Stakes last year before winning the Distaff. She is winless since then but finished second to Crabcakes in an optional-claiming race at Laurel before running third in a pair of optional claimers at Delaware.

Fillupcohensapiker and Moon Virginia, second and third in last year’s Distaff, return to challenge Hailey’s Flip. Shimmering Aspen enters off a win in the Timonium Distaff in Maryland.

Winplaceorshowono returns to the New Castle off a runner-up effort in an optional claimer on Sept. 12 at Delaware, his first start of the year. Final Prospect, third in last year’s New Castle, is also back for more.

Maiden special weight winners Tybalt, Sapphire Shilling, and Thatwouldbegrand, all of whom have stakes experience, highlight the $100,000 First State Dash for Delaware-bred or -certified juveniles going 5 1/2 furlongs. Tybalt finished second in the Tyro Stakes at Monmouth, while Sapphire Shilling was second by a nose in the Strike Your Colors Stakes at Delaware. Thatwouldbegrand looks to rebound after finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga. Aspect, who scored his first win in waiver maiden-claiming company, was third, a neck behind Sapphire Shilling, in the Strike Your Colors.

The filly counterpart to the First State, the $100,000 Small Wonder Stakes, is led by Start the Show, who most recently was fourth in the White Clay Creek Stakes at Delaware.

The George Rosenberger Memorial, for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on turf, and the DTHA Governors Day Handicap, for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and 70 yards on the main track, drew horses with graded stakes form. Both are $75,000 events for horses who have started at Delaware this year.

Stakes winner Party Boat, who was second or third in multiple graded stakes last year, comes into the Rosenberger Memorial off a third in an optional claimer on the Delaware course. The race was won by Bombshell, who also returns Saturday. Giovanna Blues was second in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware. Last Promise Kept and Well Acquainted are coming off respective stakes placings at Kentucky Downs and Monmouth.

Unbridled Juan comes into the Governors Day Handicap off an allowance win at Laurel. He is multiple graded stakes placed, most recently when second by three-quarters of a length in the off-the-turf Grade 3 Dixie in May at Pimlico. Fellowship was second by a nose in the Grade 3 General George this year at Laurel but hasn’t hit the board since.

Dr Blarney has won all five of his starts this year, including stakes at Suffolk and Finger Lakes before winning two optional claimers at Delaware.