Joint Return, Fortune Pearl go at it again in Obeah
Joint Return and Fortune Pearl have been following similar career paths.
Last year, Fortune Pearl finished in front of Joint Return in two of their three meetings. She was third in the Black-Eyed Susan, one placing ahead of Joint Return, and then won the $300,000 Delaware Oaks at 5-2, with 8-5 favorite Joint Return finishing second.
In their final meeting at 3, Joint Return added blinkers and finished second in the 1 1/4-mile Alabama at Saratoga for trainer John Servis, while Fortune Pearl checked in fourth for Graham Motion.
On Saturday, the pair will meet for the fifth time in the last 13 months in the Grade 3 Obeah at Delaware Park. If they run well, it would not be surprising to see them both in the Grade 1, $750,000 Delaware Handicap on July 18.
Servis said, “The Delaware Handicap is definitely on the radar” for Joint Return.
“She has shown us a fondness for the mile-and-a-quarter distance and for Delaware Park, so we are definitely using the Obeah as a prep for the Delaware Handicap,” he said.
Joint Return and Fortune Pearl exit the Grade 3 Allaire duPont Distaff at Pimlico. Joint Return finished third to winner Stopchargingmaria in the duPont after making a sharp middle move into contention. Fortune Pearl bobbled at the start, saved ground to the stretch, and then tired to seventh.
:: Bet the Obeah with DRF Bets. Get up to a $500 cash bonus! Find out more today.
The 1 1/8-mile Obeah has drawn a field of 11 that also includes Blue Violet, the fourth-place finisher in the duPont for Larry Jones; Sea Shadow, an impressive longshot winner of the Winter Melody Stakes at Delaware on May 20 for Ben Colebrook; and Montana Native, the runner-up in the Obeah last year for Christophe Clement.
The Obeah field doesn’t have much early speed, and Natalie Victoria could set the pace at a big price. This will be her second start following a nine-month layoff.
The purse of the $100,000 Obeah has been trimmed by $50,000 this year. The card also includes the $50,000 Stanton, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds.
Key contenders (Race 8)
Joint Return (Last 3 Beyers: 87-73-78)
◗ She will be making her third start of the year and should be ready for a top effort following the duPont.
Fortune Pearl (Last 3 Beyers: 72-84-78)
◗ She has been consistent throughout her career, and her uncharacteristically poor effort in the duPont should not be overemphasized. Her victory over optional-claiming company in April at Keeneland is more representative of her ability.
Blue Violet (Last 3 Beyers: 87-88-87)
◗ She was a narrowly beaten third in the Doubledogdare at Keeneland two starts back and missed second in the duPont by only a half-length.
Sea Shadow (Last 3 Beyers: 91-82-73)
◗ Beyer Speed Figures have climbed in her last four races, and her 4 3/4-length victory in the Winter Melody earned a career-best number.
◗ The Winter Melody runner-up, Power of Snunner, came back to win a third-level optional claimer at Monmouth by three lengths.