Royally bred Graceful Princess ready to fulfill potential in Obeah Stakes

Hopes have always been sky high for Graceful Princess, a daughter of all-world stallion Tapit and 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace.

On Wednesday, Graceful Princess aims for her first stakes victory when she starts as the potential favorite in the $100,000 Obeah for fillies and mares traveling 1 1/16 miles at Delaware Park.

A homebred owned by Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm, Graceful Princess struggled in two Grade 3 races to close her 2020 campaign but improved drastically when third, beaten a neck, in the Grade 3 Doubledogdare on April 16 at Keeneland.

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“She did well with a little break,” trainer Todd Pletcher said Monday morning. “She put on some weight and got back to her best. She seems to run well fresh, so that’s why we decided to take a shot in the Doubledogdare and we were very pleased with her performance.”

Graceful Princess has natural early speed, but Pletcher feels that she can sit off another horse “if we have to.” Irad Ortiz, Jr., named to ride at entry time, was injured at Belmont last week. Pletcher said that Luis Saez will replace Ortiz in the Obeah.

Miss Marissa, winner of last fall’s Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico, returns from a winter break for trainer James Ryerson. Unraced since a second-place finish in Aqueduct’s Ladies Handicap on Jan. 17, Miss Marissa was freshened, Ryerson said.

“We looked at the Ogden Phipps at Belmont last Saturday, but we thought the Obeah fit her better,” Ryerson said.

Daniel Centeno will pilot the tactical Miss Marissa for the first time since the 2020 Black-Eyed Susan.

“We’re going to try and get good position into the first turn,” Ryerson said. “Whether we stalk or be in front, we’ll leave that up to Danny.”

Market Rumor, second in the Weber City Miss at Laurel last September, has returned this year in top form for trainer Ian Wilkes. She has run twice this year, finishing second in a Keeneland allowance and in a Churchill allowance.

“She’s a bigger, stronger filly this year,” Wilkes said. “She’s run into a couple of nice fillies, but she’s run very well.”

Market Rumor likes to race toward the front of the field, Wilkes said.

Multiple Grade 3 winner Bajan Girl, recently fourth in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs, also looms a potential pace factor for trainer Rohan Crichton.

Stakes winners Trolley Ride and Artful Splatter, Grade 2-placed Dream Marie, and stakes-placed Promised Storm complete the list of expected starters.

Both Crystal Ball and Jilted Bride will not run in the Obeah. They instead will point to the $250,000 Lady Jacqueline Stakes on June 26 at Thistledown.

Morning-line favorite Queen Nekia, Lucky Stride, and Sweet Sami D all competed this past weekend and also are likely to scratch.

The Obeah, the first stakes race of the 2021 Delaware meet, is the local prep for the track’s signature race, the Grade 2, $400,000 Delaware Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on July 10.