Maiden may be a value play in Blue Hen

Among the nine 2-year-old fillies scheduled to contest Saturday's $75,000 Blue Hen Stakes at Delaware Park, Ms Vanenzza is the lone maiden.

But based on her lone Beyer Speed Figure and her pedigree, Ms Vanenzza might be an intriguing value play.

The 74 Beyer that Ms Vanenzza earned for her closing second in a 12-horse sprint is the best last-race Beyer in the Blue Hen.

Her dam, Speaking of Time, was second in the Grade 1 Vanity at 1 1/8 miles and third in the Grade 2 Hawthorne Handicap at 1 1/16 miles, an indication that Ms Vanenzza may relish the 1 1/16 miles of the Blue Hen.

Tizahit and Suzanne are the only members of the lineup to have won going two turns. Both earned Beyers of 62 for maiden wins going a mile at Monmouth Park.

Suzanne returns to dirt after she was a nonthreatening fifth of nine in the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Lassie on Polytrack.

Based at Monmouth with trainer Greg Sacco, Suzanne may be ideally suited for the main track at Delaware. Her dam, Anclote, was second in the 1 1/16-mile George Rosenberger over the local course. Anclote also won a stakes going long on Delaware's turf.

Rules R Rules is the lone two-time winner among the Blue Hen entrants, winning her two most recent races by a combined margin of 14 lengths. But one of those victories came against maiden claimers, and she has yet to race beyond six furlongs.

"She is obviously pretty good sprinting, but she did not have any problem with a six-furlong race last time and she was kind of widening her lead in the end," said trainer Mike Gorham, referring to Rules R Rules's victory in a first-level allowance at Penn National. "Hopefully, she will stretch out without a problem, The competition is going to be a lot stiffer than she has faced before, but hopefully she will handle it."

Potosina also stretches out after surviving a pace duel to draw off by nearly six lengths in her career debut.