Princess of Sylmar faces five in Delaware Handicap

Princess of Sylmar will be the star of the show Saturday at Delaware Park, where she rules as a prohibitive favorite over five rivals in the 77th running of the Delaware Handicap.

The Grade 1, $750,000 Delaware Handicap will be run at 1 1/4 miles, a distance that should suit the long-winded Princess of Sylmar perfectly. In her only other start at the distance, Princess of Sylmar won the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga last August.

An Eclipse Awards finalist last year at 3, when she reeled off consecutive wins in the Kentucky Oaks, Coaching Club American Oaks, Alabama, and Beldame Invitational, Princess of Sylmar by design has raced only twice this year, according to her owner, Ed Stanco.

“We decided to take it easy in the spring with her this year and to focus on the summer and fall,” Stanco said. “She was just exhausted at the end of the year last year, and we wanted to do things differently during her 4-year-old season.”

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Princess of Sylmar will carry 123 pounds in the Delaware Handicap and concede four to 11 pounds. Her regular rider, Javier Castellano, will be aboard from post 6.

::Delaware Handicap: Get PPs, watch Saturday's card live

Second in the weights at 119 is Molly Morgan, trained by Dale Romans. Molly Morgan won the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs by four lengths last time out and was second in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes prior to that. Corey Lanerie will ride from post 3.

Flashy American ships in for trainer Ken McPeek after finishing second in the Fleur de Lis. She won the Grade 3 Sixty Sails Handicap at Hawthorne two back. She will carry 118 pounds from post 2. Delaware’s leading rider coming into Wednesday’s races, Alex Cintron, has the mount.

Gamay Noir shipped in to win the Grade 3 Obeah Stakes at Delaware for trainer Marty Wolfson on June 14 and has returned for the Del Cap. Daniel Centeno, who is battling for the lead in the local rider standings, has a return mount at 116.

The Del Cap field, from the rail out, is Belle Gallantey (114, Jose Ortiz), Flashy American, Molly Morgan, Gamay Noir, Bryan’s Jewel (112, Jevian Toledo), and Princess of Sylmar.

The Delaware Handicap card includes three other stakes: the $100,000 Sweet and Sassy and two $50,000 stakes, the Fort Delaware and the Cape Henlopen.