Petit Trianon looks to fire fresh Monday in Delaware feature

At first glance, Delaware Park’s featured race Monday, a high-level, $65,000 optional-claiming turf sprint, is difficult to decipher. Thirteen fillies and mares are entered, including two main-track-only runners in the body of the race and two also-eligibles waiting to get in.

A little research, however, brings the five-furlong sprint into clearer focus.

First of all, the weather in Stanton, Del., is forecast to be dry through Monday, so ditch the MTOs. Also, Juan Vazquez, the track’s leading trainer with 24 wins through Friday, has a runner, Petit Trianon, who plays to two of his longtime statistical strengths.

Finally, two entrants, Perfect Measure and Quality Lass, performed well in a key race at Pimlico on Preakness Day. They each have run back since, but still, a repeat of their efforts that day would put them in the center of things here.

Key contenders

Petit Trianon (Last 3 Beyers: 80-74-76)

* A 4-year-old filly, Petit Trianon won a third-level optional-claiming sprint at Pimlico on May 26 and has not raced since. Her work pattern has been steady since, and Vazquez has very good numbers with horses coming off layoffs of more than 60 days.

* Petit Trianon, who is 4 for 11, has only started on turf twice, but she did win a no-conditions allowance race at Pimlico in April 2013. Vazquez has positive stats with runners going from dirt to turf.

Formulator Facts:

* Over the last five years, Vazquez is 47 for 204 (23 percent) with a $2.23 return on investment with horses making their first start following a layoff of 61 to 180 days.

* Over the last five years, Vazquez is 10 for 86 (12 percent) with a $2.33 ROI with horses going from dirt to turf.

* Over the last five years, Vazquez is 1 for 10 (10 percent) with an $8.54 ROI with horses going from dirt to turf and making their first start following a layoff of 61 to 180 days.

* That last stat has too few starts to be meaningful, and the ROI is skewed, as his one winner went off at 41-1.

Quality Lass (Last 3 Beyers: 77-72-84) and Perfect Measure (Last 3 Beyers: 67-87-83)

* Quality Lass and Perfect Measure both raced in the $100,000 The Very One Stakes at Pimlico. Of the 13 horses who have run back out of that race, six won their next start, and three won stakes. The winner, Ageless, won the Grade 3 Royal North at Woodbine; Quality Lass, who finished third, won the $100,000 Satin N Lace at Presque Isle Downs; and seventh-place finisher Madame Giry won the $75,000 Gulfstream Turf Sprint.

* Quality Lass dueled on the lead in her last start, the $64,000 Klassy Briefcase at Monmouth, and tired to finish eighth.

* Perfect Measure, second in The Very One, was outrun in a third-level optional claimer last time out and is in for the $65,000 claiming price Monday.

* Mac Robertson has two runners entered who raced well in their 2014 debuts last time out, Stoupinator and Mia Bee A. They should be considered in exotics here.