Red Ruby, Coach Rocks have plenty of competition in Delaware Oaks

Red Ruby and Coach Rocks finished first and second in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan last month, and their rematch Saturday in the Grade 3, $300,000 Delaware Oaks is the central theme of the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies. But is it really a two-horse race?

Red Ruby, who should rule a solid favorite, ran by Coach Rocks quickly in upper stretch of the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan and went on to a decisive 4 3/4-length score. It’s possible she is simply better than her Oaks rivals.

Then again, Coach Rocks, Red Ruby, and Gio Game, the third-place finisher in the Grade 1 Acorn, are marooned in the outside posts of the 10-horse field. This could open things up for the top four finishers from the Light Hearted Stakes at Delaware, whose Beyer Speed Figures might not match up, but who nonetheless put on quite a battle in a race won by the Todd Pletcher-trained Mo Shopping.

The field includes three other last-out winners, two more from the barn of Pletcher and another who is trained by Graham Motion.

The 67th running of the Delaware Oaks tops a four stakes card that includes the Grade 3 Robert Dick Memorial, and Cape Henlopen and Dashing Beauty stakes. It sets the table for next Saturday’s $750,000 Delaware Handicap.

Red Ruby has been impressive winning the Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico and the Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park. Both of those victories came over sloppy tracks, which she is unlikely to get Saturday. Thunderstorms are possible in Delaware on Friday and could drop as much as three-quarters of an inch of rain, but the Saturday forecast call for mostly sunny skies and a high temperature of 80.

Kellyn Gorder, who trains Red Ruby, said he’s “not wishing for rain” but thinks his filly may improve on wet footing.

“I think she does move up on a wet track,” he said. “It’s hard to say for sure because she handles every kind of track well. Sometimes we’d take her out late at Oaklawn and the track would be drying out, kind of cuppy, and she’d go right over it.”

Red Ruby, who is 3 for 5 with earnings of $283,000, is based at Keeneland, where Gorder has a 35-horse stable.

“She is probably the nicest horse I’ve ever had,” Gorder said. “She has a high cruising speed and a pretty quick turn of foot. At Pimlico it only looked like she was applying herself 75 percent of the time.”

Dale Romans trains Coach Rocks, winner of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks.

“I think she ran a great race in the Black-Eyed Susan, the other filly just ran better,” he said. “I don’t know what else she could have done. We’ll try her again and see if we can’t turn the tables over a fast track.”

Trainer Mark Casse is concerned about Gio Game’s outside post but thinks the daughter of Gio Ponti is “getting a little better every race.”

Gio Game was beaten 6 1/4 lengths by division leader Monomoy Girl finishing third in the one-mile Acorn. She finished ninth last November in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.

“I don’t know how detrimental that post is, but she ran well in the Acorn and has good numbers,” Casse said. “The day she won her maiden at Keeneland last fall, she was extremely impressive. That’s why I took her to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Pletcher’s trio consists of Mo Shopping, a Mike Repole homebred by Uncle Mo out of Stopshoppingmaria; Takechargedelilah, who has paired up maiden and allowance wins in New York; and the wild card in the race, Cascanueces, a Kentucky-bred who is 3 for 3, all in Peru.

The first- and third-place finishers in the mile and 70-yard Light Hearted had clean trips, the second- and fourth-place runners – who both race for John Servis – did not.

Prospective Lady, who is based at Delaware with Gerald Bennett, set the pace but was replaced on the lead in upper stretch by Mo Shopping, who had a stalking trip. Prospective Lady never gave up, though, and finished third by three-quarters of a length to Mo Shopping, who held off Blue Strike by a half-length.

Blue Strike, the 3-2 favorite, was carried wide by a rival into the first turn, then ground it out in the stretch following a long drive.

Late-running Blue Union Rags, who finished fourth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths, stumbled at the start and then ran up behind horses in the stretch and had to alter course to the outside. She could improve dramatically Saturday with a clean trip, especially if the pace is quick.

Motion’s entrant is the longshot Maya Malibu, who is coming off a first-level optional-claiming victory at Delaware.