Overnight stakes draws deep field at Delaware

Considering it's an overnight stakes worth a modest $50,000, the Joe French Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park attracted quite an accomplished cast.

Among the nine older horses going a mile and 70 yards are four with Grade 3 wins either this year or last season, plus Harlem Rocker, winner of the Grade 1 Cigar Mile in 2008, and Secret Getaway, second in the 2009 running of the Grade 2 New

Orleans Handicap.

The best recent form belongs to Goldsville, who won the first stakes of his 20-race career last time out, when he captured the Grade 3 Excelsior at Aqueduct in April. Goldsville, a 5-year-old Mike Hushion trainee, has a 4 for 9 record on dirt.

Honest Man, winner of the Grade 3 Iselin in 2008 and the Grade 3 Mineshaft last season, makes his second start as a 6-year-old for trainer Tony Dutrow. In his last appearance at Delaware, almost exactly two years ago, Honest Man won by 4 1/4 lengths and earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

The Todd Pletcher-trained Harlem Rocker is 0 for 3 since being disqualified from victory the 2008 Cigar Mile and was off the board in two starts against graded stakes company this past winter at Gulfstream Park.

Pletcher also has entered Alma d'Oro, a 4-year-old who won his first start at Delaware by more than 10 lengths 2 1/2 weeks ago.

Secret Getaway, trained by Mike Stidham, is only 1 for 10 over the past two seasons, but that win two starts ago at Fair Grounds, in a high-priced optional claimer, produced a 102 Beyer that would make him a serious threat in Saturday's field.