Less-than-firm turf likely for Maker's 46 Mile
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Delta Prince might prefer a firmer turf than what he’s likely to get Friday in the $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland, but at least he’ll get to run in a Grade 1. The Stronach Stables homebred was flown cross-country to California early last month for the Kilroe Mile, only to have the race postponed amid all the problems Santa Anita was undergoing.
A potentially disruptive storm front was expected to pass through this region late Thursday or early Friday, with the condition of the turf course for the 31st Maker’s 46 likely to be affected.
“I wish it wasn’t, but there you go,” said Jimmy Jerkens, who arrived here Monday to oversee the final days of training for Delta Prince. “He’s had some good races on a soft turf, but I still think he likes it firmer.”
Delta Prince will have the red-hot Javier Castellano aboard when he breaks from post 4 in a field of eight older horses in the Maker’s 46, the ninth of 10 races on a Friday card that starts at 1:05 p.m. Eastern. The 6-year-old horse has developed a handy stalking style while being a model of consistency throughout his 12-race career, finishing third or better in every start except for a fourth in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile last fall.
“With his pedigree, it’d be great to get a Grade 1 with him” to enhance his future stud value, said Jerkens.
Delta Prince, by Street Cry, was produced by Delta Princess, the dam of the great Royal Delta, a 2019 Hall of Fame nominee in her first year of eligibility.
“We’ve been close before but it’d be nice to go over the top Friday,” said Jerkens.
$5 paper
Delta Prince was a good third in the $6.7 million Pegasus World Turf Cup at Gulfstream Park in his lone start this year, making a sustained run to seize command in midstretch before being beaten 2 3/4 lengths. His subsequent training at Palm Meadows in Florida was interrupted only by the trip in early March to California.
“He seems to be doing great,” said Jerkens, the New York-based veteran who has won two of his eight tries at Keeneland, all in stakes. Jerkens won the 2005 Maker’s with Artie Schiller and the 2007 Ashland with Christmas Kid. “There’s plenty of speed in there, so hopefully Javier can tuck him in and follow them around there and get something done when it counts.”
Castellano was the dominant rider during the first week of this meet, winning four of the nine stakes, including the Blue Grass, aboard Vekoma.
Probably the main rival for Delta Prince is Raging Bull (post 1, Joel Rosario), who will make his first start against older horses after ending his 3-year-old campaign with a victory in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on Dec. 1 at Del Mar. Trained by Chad Brown for Peter Brant, the late-running French-bred colt also stands to benefit from an up-front scenario pitting the defending champion, Heart to Heart (post 6, Julien Leparoux), against another speed type, Great Wide Open (post 8, James Graham).
For Heart to Heart, a popular 8-year-old horse owned by Terry Hamilton, this will be his fourth straight run in the Maker’s 46, having finished second in 2016 and 2017 before leading all the way last year. Trainer Brian Lynch said he, too, would prefer the turf course to remain as firm as possible.
“He’s shown he doesn’t run well when it’s soft,” said Lynch. “I’d say this is probably his last start in this race. He’s got good energy and his mind is still in it, but when they get older like this, you’re always looking for signs that they still want to do it.”
Great Wide Open, second at 81-1 here last fall in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile, came to peak form for trainer Conor Murphy over the winter in New Orleans in winning back-to-back turf races, ending with the Diliberto.
Other contenders include Doctor Mounty (post 2, John Velazquez), a two-back winner of the Tropical Turf at Gulfstream for Shug McGaughey, and Qurbaan (post 5, Irad Ortiz Jr.), the 2018 Bernard Baruch winner for Kiaran McLaughlin.
The longshots of the lineup are Hembree (post 3, Tyler Gaffalione) and Clyde’s Image (post 7, Albin Jimenez.
Post time for the Maker’s 46 is 5:30 p.m. One earlier stakes, the inaugural Limestone Turf Sprint (race 7, 4:24), also is on tap.
