Owner considers another start for J P's Delight before sale

J P’s Delight will go through the sales ring next month, but it’s yet to be determined whether the unbeaten filly will have another race before then.

Brent Fernung, who bred and owns J P’s Delight in partnership with Eugene Cahalan, said this week that the 3-year-old filly has returned to the Ocala Training Center and will get “a week or so just to be a horse.” He said “we’ll have to decide whether or not to run her again” before she is sold at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. on Jan. 28-29.

Trained by Kathleen O’Connell, J P’s Delight won the $125,000 City of Ocala on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla., and now has gone unchallenged in her three career starts, all at six or seven furlongs. The daughter of J P’s Gusto remains eligible for an open first-level allowance because her last two races – an October allowance at Gulfstream West and the City of Ocala – were restricted to registered Florida-breds.

J P’s Delight has earned Beyer Speed Figures ranging from 84 to 88 in winning her races by a combined 18 1/4 lengths.

“She’s a fast filly, but the thing that impressed me most Saturday was how controlled she was before putting her head and going about her business,” Fernung said. “She’s got the kind of tactical speed you always like to see.

“I like the idea of selling her undefeated. There’s no telling what she might bring, although it’s not like she’s a 2-year-old colt where she’d be worth an absolute fortune right now. I just want her in tip-top shape when she goes through the ring.”

The City of Ocala came an hour before Jackson was in from Gulfstream Park to post a similarly dominant victory in the colt-and-gelding counterpart, the $125,000 Marion County. Trained by Jose Pinchin for his wife, Tracy, the 3-year-old Kantharos colt is now 3 for 3 at Tampa, all of them in restricted stakes. He earned an 82 Beyer.

Two allowances on tap

A pair of $22,500, first-level allowances anchor a nine-race Friday card that starts at 12:45 p.m. Eastern and is expected to be run under pleasant weather (mostly sunny, high of 72).

Race 5 drew a field of eight 2-year-old fillies going a mile on turf. Micheline and Whisper Slow are the likely favorites when emerging from stakes engagements elsewhere.

Race 8 got a well-matched field of eight 3-year-olds and up. The 4-year-old gelding Tony could come favored after finishing a sharp second in a similar race on the Nov. 27 opening-day card.

Friday marks the first of three straight racing days, with Sundays being added to the calendar starting this week and through the duration of a meet that runs through May 3. Next Thursday (Dec. 26) replaces the preceding Wednesday (Dec. 25) in the only Christmas alteration to the regular schedule.

◗ Following the Florida-bred races last weekend, Tampa will now go five weeks without a stakes until the Pasco and Gasparilla are run Jan. 18. The biggest dates at the 2019-20 meet are Feb. 7 (Sam F. Davis) and March 8 (Tampa Bay Derby).