Mary Delaney holds off Mocha Queen

Mary Delaney took command entering the stretch, then held on gamely to defeat Mocha Queen by a diminishing half-length in the $50,000 Wishing Well Stakes.

Ridden by Julien Leparoux and trained by Eddie Kenneally, Mary Delaney returned $4.60 as the favorite in a field of 11 fillies and mares. She finished six furlongs in 1:09.37 over Polytrack.

Harmonic Miss, a 24-1 shot, set the early pace while Mary Delaney and Golden Voice tracked closest. Approaching the quarter pole, Mary Delaney made her move, and after opening a clear lead down the stretch, she was kept to a drive by Leparoux to hold off Mocha Queen, the 9-2 second choice. Asyouwish closed steadily to finish third, another length behind Mocha Queen.

The victory was the first in a stakes for Mary Delaney, a 4-year-old Hennessy filly owned by Fergus Galvin. The Kentucky-bred filly has won 3 of 5 starts since starting off her racing career with a 1-for-4 mark in Great Britain.