La Feve a standout in Christiana Stakes

The Christiana Stakes at Delaware Park on Wednesday has drawn a much tougher field than its $50,000 purse would seem to merit. Despite that, La Feve seemingly has her rivals over a barrel in the 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies.

La Feve is part of a Graham Motion-trained entry with Mercilla, both of whom are partially owned by the Madaket Stable of Sol Kumin. La Feve and Mercilla raced in France at 2 before being imported to the United States.

One for six in her native country, La Feve didn’t win until her fifth start at Mont-de-Marsan in southwestern France. Her high point came in her 2-year-old finale in September, when she finished third, beaten a length, in the Group 3 Prix d’Aumale at Longchamp.

La Feve has proven to be stakes quality against some tough rivals in her three starts this season. Previously trained by Chad Brown, she debuts for Motion on Wednesday.

In her first U.S. outing, La Feve finished third, beaten 4 1/4 lengths to A Bit Special in the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant at Gulfstream Park. A Bit Special is 4 for 5 with three stakes wins in South Florida.

La Feve finished fourth, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, next time out in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks behind the talented trio of Concrete Rose, Blowout, and Winter Sunset. Concrete Rose would come back to upset Newspaperofrecord in the Grade 3 Edgewood on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs.

In her most recent start in mid-April, La Feve set the pace in the Memories of Silver at Aqueduct before ending up third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, to Feel Glorious, who is 2 for 3 since being imported to the U.S., including a runner-up effort last time out in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly.

Trevor McCarthy, who guided entrymate Mercilla to a first-level allowance win at Pimlico in her Stateside debut, switches over to La Feve in the Christiana.

Karama, owned and bred by Shadwell and trained by Michael Pino, is off to a promising start. She won a Gulfstream maiden race first time out by 4 1/2 lengths in February, then finished second to A Bit of Both in the seven-furlong Game Face on the main track. A Bit of Both improved her record to five wins in six starts by taking the Honey Bee Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday.

In her turf debut, Karama almost stole the Boiling Springs on the lead at Monmouth but was caught by Beautiful Lover and beaten by a half-length. Beautiful Lover has won three races in a row after being beaten in her career debut.

Souper Escape and Ebullient come out of a salty edition of the Hilltop Stakes, which was won by Dogtag, who was making her first start at 3 after capturing the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga last summer.

Ionic will be making her first start since dropping a nose decision to Souper Escape in a late April optional claimer at Laurel Park.

Pat’s No Fool and Zonda, who will be making their turf debuts, come out of the Light Hearted Stakes over the Delaware main track. Although their running lines from that race aren’t attractive, it should be remembered the Light Hearted was won by Fashion Faux Pas, who scored by 14 1/2 lengths and earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.