Joint Return punches ticket to Delaware Oaks

Joint Return signaled she will be a major player in the Grade 2 Delaware Oaks with a comfortable Wednesday win in the $50,000 Our Mims Stakes at Delaware Park.

The one-mile Our Mims was the fifth victory from eight starts for the late-running daughter of Include and her third stakes score. She had previously won the Busher at Aqueduct and the Calder Oaks.

Coming into the race, trainer John Servis thought the Our Mims might be a bit short for Joint Return, but the distance turned out not to be a problem. Jockey Kendrick Carmouche took a light hold early and let her lag back in the seven-horse field as Image of Anna set a moderate pace of 24.44 and 48.48 seconds. Joint Return circled wide on the far turn, moved to the front outside Image of Anna in midstretch, and drew off to a 1 1/4-length lead with Carmouche keeping her mind on business with a left-handed whip. Joint Return did not appear to overexert herself in victory.

Image of Anna, trained by Rick Violette, ran well in defeat. She relaxed on the lead under Delaware Park’s leading jockey, Daniel Centeno, turned back a bid from 32-1 shot Tupancy Links nearing the stretch, drew clear again, but could not keep pace with the winner while a length clear of Brown Rice, who finished third At 40-1. Tupancy Links was fourth.

Mary Rita, the 8-5 second choice behind favored Joint Return, was in tight entering the first turn. She raced forwardly outside horses to the far turn and then tired to finish sixth.

Joint Return, owned by the Philadelphia-based Main Line Racing Stable, paid $4.40 and was timed in 1:38.04. A $60,000 Keeneland September buy in 2012, Joint Return has now earned $228,000. This is the second consecutive week that Servis and Main Line Racing won the Wednesday stakes at Delaware.

The $300,000 Delaware Oaks will be run at 1 1/16 miles on July 5.