Tea Time scores as favorite in Beautiful Day

Tea Time made short work of her seven rivals in Thursday’s $50,000 Beautiful Day Stakes for 3-year-old filly sprinters at Delaware Park, cruising home under a hand ride from Joshua Navarro while covering the six furlongs in a rapid 1:09.11.

Tea Time, trained by Michael Matz, was content to stalk the rapid early pace of 21.64 and 44.97 seconds set by 5-1 third choice Keep Crossing. She split horses nearing the stretch, and then pulled away to win by 3 1/2 lengths.

The victory was the third in a stakes from eight career starts for Tea Time, a daughter of Pulpit and the Empire Maker mare, Asian Empress. Tea Time is the first foal out of her unraced mare. Prior to the Beautiful Day, Team Time had won the Jostle at Parx and the Sharp Cat last fall at Belmont Park. Both of those races were 6 1/2 furlongs.

Tea Time was bred and is owned by Helen K. Groves and Jon and Sarah Kelly. She paid $3.20 to win.

Offlee Golden, never far back, came three wide into the stretch and held second by three-quarters of a length over Angel of Mercy, who lodged her bid four wide on the far turn. Offlee Golden had finished third behind Tea Time, beaten 4 1/4 lengths, in her last start, the Jostle Stakes.

Keep Crossing tired to finish fifth after setting the pace to the stretch.