In her first start for trainer Brad Cox last month, 3-year-old filly Margie’s Intention went from a Louisiana-bred bridesmaid to a graded stakes winner. With a queen-sized stakes victory in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan to her name, Margie’s Intention heads to Delaware Park as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks on Saturday. “I think she’s going the right way,” Cox said. “We’re cutting back to the mile and a sixteenth, and I think she has to get a good trip. Obviously, a similar group to that one she faced at Pimlico, and if she gets a good, clean trip, she’ll be right there at the end.” In both of her statebred stakes starts at Fair Grounds for trainer Brendan Walsh, Margie’s Intention finished second behind Blue Fire, runner-up in the Grade 2 Eight Belles in May. That filly prepared Margie’s Intention well for open company, as she stretched out to 1 1/8 miles and rallied in the stretch to earn a three-quarter-length victory in the Black-Eyed Susan. Cutting back slightly to 1 1/16 miles, Cox’s filly is the one to beat in the field of nine 3-year-old fillies at Delaware this weekend. The second- and third-place finishers from the Black-Eyed Susan will travel with her. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Kinzie Queen, trained by Greg Compton, ceded 15 lengths out of the gate in the Black-Eyed Susan and made up seven in the stretch to finish third. With a better start, Compton believes that she can capitalize on a hot pace in the Delaware Oaks. “Disappointed we didn’t win, but she was close and she ran well,” Compton said. “She’s come out of it in good shape. Honestly, she’s probably put on a little weight since the last race. This is one I’ve had circled for a while.” Paris Lily, former stablemate to Margie’s Intention in Walsh’s barn, was the runner-up at Pimlico last time out, getting away with an unchallenged early lead and nearly stealing the Black-Eyed Susan. It is unlikely that she gets the same luck this time as Late Nite Call and Complexity Jane could be forwardly placed to her inside. Niall Saville cross-entered Late Nite Call in the $200,000 Delaware Derby against 3-year-old males. Based on the strength of both fields, he said that he is leaning toward the Oaks but will ultimately make his decision Saturday morning. Despite winning the $150,000 Weber City Miss on the front end at Laurel Park, Brittany Russell decided to keep Complexity Jane out of the Black-Eyed Susan and will instead bring her back at this comfortable 1 1/16-mile distance. The Black-Eyed Susan did not attract any runners from the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, but the Delaware Oaks will attract one. Fondly, the 11th-place finisher at Churchill Downs last time out, will make her fourth career start for trainer Graham Motion. The lightly raced filly went straight from a maiden victory on debut to a win in the $250,000 Virginia Oaks. The trip to Kentucky was ambitious, but she should be better suited to this field with Irad Ortiz Jr. scheduled to ride. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.