Hamazing Destiny back in allowance ranks

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,” wrote Robert Frost in his poem “The Road Not Taken,” but for racing fans, that famous opening line could be altered to read, “Two roads diverged in the Kelly’s Landing Stakes.” The winner of the $65,000 Kelly’s Landing on June 26 at Churchill Downs, Here Comes Ben, took the road leading to Saratoga, where he won the Grade 1 Forego last weekend. Hamazing Destiny, second by a neck to Here Comes Ben, has wound up in the featured second race on Monday at Delaware Park.

Hamazing Destiny was one of six horses entered in an allowance race with multiple conditions and also open to $65,000 claimers. Hamazing Destiny is coupled for wagering purposes with Lovango, since Barry Butzow has an ownership stake in both horses. Mac Robertson trains Lovango, and also trained Hamazing Destiny when he scored a blowout debut win at Oaklawn Park in 2009. Most of the horse was sold thereafter, with Wayne Lukas taking over Hamazing Destiny’s training.

Hamazing Destiny has flashed brilliance at times, while never fully following through on the promise he showed in his first start. He scored a blazing Churchill allowance-race win last fall, but then ran poorly in two Oaklawn starts last winter. And after his bang-up second in the Kelly’s Landing, Hamazing Destiny could do no better than an even third in a Saratoga allowance race on July 26.

Also in Monday’s race is the minor Maryland legend, Ah Day, a 14-time winner with a bankroll of nearly $900,000. Once graded-stakes class, 7-year-old Ah Day seeks his first 2010 win after six starts this year.

The strongest recent form belongs to Happy Bull, who rides a two-race Delaware winning streak into the Monday feature for trainer Tony Dutrow.