Heavily favored Probably Dreaming has no problem with added distance in Rocky Run
While trainer Gary Capuano was notching a pair of stakes wins on Maryland Million Day at Laurel Park on Saturday, a juvenile star did him proud back home at Delaware Park. Probably Dreaming stretched out to a mile in the $100,000 Rocky Run Stakes and mowed down six rivals in a commanding 4 1/2-length victory.
Coming off an impressive 2 1/4-length victory as the 2-1 favorite in the $100,000 First State Dash last month, bettors didn’t let the budding talent get away on the tote board. He went off at 1-9 odds and paid $2.20 to win.
Jockey Carlos Lopez employed contrasting running styles in the colt’s first two victories and switched back to a deep-closing trip in the Rocky Run. Longshots Freely Held and Chalky White dueled through the opening quarter-mile in 24.39 seconds before Star Sweeper and G Q Worthy took over on the backstretch through a half-mile in 49.07.
Exiting the far turn, G Q Worthy, a 30-1 longshot trained by John Robb, sustained his early bid and began to pull away from Star Sweeper. This race on the inside proved to be for little more than a minor prize, however, as Probably Dreaming advanced from sixth to third and then blew past the top pair to take a three-length lead in the stretch. He completed the mile in 1:40.22.
G Q Worthy had nothing to offer against the winner but held well for second, finishing 2 1/2 lengths clear of Chuck Lawrence-trained colt Empire of Glory.
Probably Dreaming remains unbeaten in three starts for Capuano. Before the race, the trainer said that he was supposed to handle more distance, and the Improbable colt passed yet another test in a highly promising career.
Dazzling Dame takes White Clay Creek
Dazzling Dame beat Jumping the Gun to the early lead in the $100,000 White Clay Creek Stakes at Delaware Park on Saturday and never looked back, kicking clear under jockey Kevin Gomez to win by 1 1/2 lengths.
Trainer Brittany Russell said that she was shipping the juvenile filly to Delaware, her fourth track in as many races, in search of some class relief. After a gate-to-wire victory in the $100,000 Sorority at Monmouth Park, she struggled late in the Grade 3 Pocahontas at Churchill Downs last month.
Breaking from the far outside post in the field of nine, trainer Andy Simoff said that Jumping the Gun had to be more prominent early to avoid getting caught wide. She managed to get involved into the first turn but lost out to 9-1 outsider Miss Call and Dazzling Dame, who took positions on the inside through an opening quarter-mile in 24.80.
Miss Call dueled Dazzling Dame on the backstretch through a half-mile in 49.28 and continued to battle around the far turn. Dazzling Dame and Gomez finally managed to shake clear of that rival turning for home, only for Jumping the Gun and jockey Julio Hernandez to take up the challenge after tracking closely the entire way.
After traveling wide throughout, Jumping the Gun, a two-time Delaware stakes winner, tried to muster a rally to maintain her unbeaten record at home, but she finally yielded near the wire. Dazzling Dame pulled away at the end, completing the mile in 1:39.52 and paying $7 to win.
Jumping the Gun yielded in the final strides but finished four lengths clear of Miss Call, who hung on to third by a half-length for trainer Kenny McPeek.
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