Kowboy Karma stands out in Strike Your Colors

Several of the 2-year-olds who will clash Thursday in the Strike Your Colors at Delaware Park looked terrific in winning against maidens, but none more so than Kowboy Karma.

A 12 1/2-length runaway in his July 19 debut clearly makes Kowboy Karma the horse to beat in the $50,000 Strike Your Colors, the featured eighth of nine races at the Stanton, Del., track. Rated in midpack through the early stages of the six-furlong race, the bay gelding proceeded to put on quite a show, quickly passing three rivals on the turn en route to an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.

Larry Jones is the trainer, co-breeder, and co-owner of Kowboy Karma, who was sired by a former Jones trainee, Kodiak Kowboy, the champion male sprinter of 2009. Alex Cintron has a return call on Kowboy Karma, who will break from post 6 in the 5 1/2-furlong Strike Your Colors.

Jones will be represented by a second starter in You’re a Survivor (post 7, Brian Pedroza), the lone maiden in a field of eight colts and geldings.

Opposing the uncoupled Jones duo are some promising juveniles, including American Talent (post 4, Jose Ferrer), a 7 1/4-length winner of his lone start July 17 at Parx Racing for trainer Keith Nations; Cheese On (post 3, Sheldon Russell), unbeaten in two starts for Laurel-based Cal Lynch; and Afterburner (post 5, Daniel Centeno), making his first start on dirt after winning a Presque Isle maiden race and finishing fourth in a Woodbine stakes for Ron Potts.

Comecomealgebra (post 1, Emilio Flores), Wonder How (post 2, Edwin Gonzalez), and Stroll Smokin (post 8, Jevian Toledo) fill out the lineup.

Jones, the Kentucky native who left his home state about a decade ago to race primarily on the East Coast, has 20 career stakes wins at Delaware, including two runnings of the track’s showcase event, the Delaware Handicap. The latest came last month with No Distortion in the Hanford Memorial.

The Strike Your Colors is named for the horse who defeated the great Spectacular Bid at Delaware in winning the Dover Stakes when they were 2-year-olds in the summer of 1978. First post is 1:15 p.m. Eastern, with the feature set for 4:45.