Streaking Delahaye captures first stakes victory in Tom Benson

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Delahaye won her third straight race and aced her stakes debut capturing the $150,000 Tom Benson Memorial Stakes by three quarters of a length Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Tyler Gaffalione not only gave Delahaye a perfect pressing trip, he did so on the fly, altering tactics when the race didn’t shape quite as Delahaye’s connections expected.

“We actually thought there was a little more speed. When there wasn’t, we went ahead and took the position,” Gaffalione said.

Among several potential pace players, it was Not So Close who crossed over from a wide draw to take up the running into the first of two turns. Gaffalione eased Delahaye over from post 10 to get into third around the first turn and second down the backstretch through splits of 23.01 and 48.28 seconds. Saturday’s races were run in a strong wind blowing with the horses through the homestretch and into the clubhouse turn before turning fully against them on the backstretch. The pace was moderate.

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Gaffalione began asking his mount at the quarter pole, the top of the stretch at Fair Grounds, as Delahaye pinned her ears briefly and got down to business. She collared Not So Close at the eighth pole and held off an outside surge to win at $9, clocking 1:42.08 for 1 1/16 miles over a course rated “good.” Grass races Saturday were run at true distances with the temporary rail taken down.

“When she made the lead, she was just kind of waiting, and when that horse came up to her on the outside, she finished up through the wire,” Gaffalione said. “She’s handy out there. You just have to let her run her race.”

Delahaye was making just her fourth start. A 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro and the War Front mare Bella Carina trained by Chad Brown for William Lawrence and Three Chimneys Farm, Delahaye debuted in February 2023, finished second in a turf maiden, and didn’t start again until November. She cleared the maiden ranks upon her return, won a first-level allowance in January, and on Saturday became a stakes winner. The filly is on her way.

El Dinero proves best in Crescent City Derby

El Dinero, pulling a perfect trip under James Graham, easily got the money in the $125,000 Crescent City Derby.

Graham had El Dinero between horses and a couple lengths off pacesetting Sonofaship around the clubhouse turn and down the backstretch of the Crescent City Derby, a 1 1/16-mile dirt race for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds. Spinning Aces, the horse inside El Dinero, tired rapidly around the far turn past the three-furlong marker and Graham steered his mount left to take the spot of Spinning Aces along the fence. Coming into the homestretch with a full head of steam, El Dinero skimmed the rail, took Sonofaship’s measure before the eighth pole, and rolled to a 4 3/4-length victory.

Sonofaship held second, more than three lengths ahead of favored Blue Eyed George, third after finishing tepidly in his dirt debut. El Dinero was timed in 1:45.08 and paid $6.80.

Pat Devereaux trains El Dinero for John Tavormina and has guided the gelding to a fine 9-4-3-2 record. El Dinero is by El Deal out of Money for Makeup, by Forestry.

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