Hope Cross seeks elusive stakes win in Dahlia Stakes

At age 5, Hope Cross will be getting a fresh start in the $75,000 Dahlia Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday. This will be her first start outside of New York or Florida and her debut for trainer Arnaud Delacour.

Hope Cross figures to rule a slight favorite in the Dahlia, but the one-mile turf race for fillies and mares race has drawn a wide-open field of 13.

Hope Cross has made her last four starts in stakes company but is still looking for her first black-type win. It is a bit concerning that from 14 starts, she has three wins and twice as many seconds.

Hope Cross was transferred from Chad Brown to Delacour by owner Magalen Bryant following a fifth-place finish in the $100,000 Sand Springs at Gulfstream Park in late February. The third-place finisher in that race, Celestine, came back to win the Grade 2 Honey Fox. The runner-up, Partisan Politics, has won two stakes. And the winner, Faufiler, is now 5 for 12.

“She came in about a month ago,” Delacour said. “The owner thought that she would benefit from running in other places, so this was a logical place to go.”

Hope Cross’s chief rivals appear to be Nisharora, who won a second-level optional race at Gulfstream in late December; Nakuto, who will be making her first start for Graham Motion after being beaten less than three lengths in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine last fall in her North American debut; and Bride to Be, who ships north from Gulfstream off an optional win and has yet to finish worse than second in five starts.

Shug McGaughey sends All in Fun down from New York off a runner-up effort at Gulfstream to Bride to Be. McGaughey won three straight races over the Laurel turf last summer, including the Grade 3 Commonwealth Oaks, with the 3-year-old filly Onus.

The Laurel card begins with the first 2-year-old race of the Maryland season. Wesley Ward bred and trains Dangerous Dan, the likely favorite.

Dangerous Dan is by the stallion Iqbaal, who stands at Ward Farm in Florida. Dangerous Dan is from Iqbaal’s second crop. He has had only five foals race, but they have won 5 of their 12 starts.

Iqbaal has had two first-time-out winners. Big City Dreamin, a 2-year-old filly, won her debut for Ward at Keeneland on April 8. Happy as a Queen won her debut last July for Ward at Gulfstream.

Ward trained Dangerous Dan’s dam, Little Miss Julien.

Key contenders

Dahlia Stakes, Race 6

Hope Cross, by Cape Cross

Last 3 Beyers: 89-95-93

◗ Will be making her first start in almost seven weeks but has run some of her best races off similar layoffs.

Nisharora, by Excellent Art

Last 3 Beyers: 88-84-81

◗ Hasn’t raced since winning at Gulfstream for trainer Kelly Rubley on Dec. 27. That was Nisharora’s first start in five months, and her work tab shows that she has been in steady training all winter.

Bride to Be, by Candy Ride

Last 3 Beyers: 85-83-78

◗ Has good tactical speed and likely will have to use it from post 13. Will be prominent from the start.