Per usual, Capuano holds strong hand in pair of juvenile stakes
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Trainer Gary Capuano, blessed with yet another strong group of Mid-Atlantic juveniles, is cursed with too few spots to enter them. He will be running against himself in both $75,000 stakes for 2-year-olds on Saturday at Delaware Park, the Dover and Blue Hen.
“It’s a good thing, I guess, if you have multiple horses to run, but you don’t really want to run them all together all the time,” Capuano said. “I guess I’ve had that problem the last couple years anyway. We’ll see how things shake out anyway.”
Among his quartet of contenders tackling six furlongs, Whitten Way is arguably the most precocious and will likely earn favoritism in the Blue Hen for juvenile fillies. In her June debut, she won a $52,000 maiden special weight by 1 1/2 lengths with a 72 Beyer Speed Figure. The runner-up that day, her then-stablemate Cha Cha Baby, came back to win by nine lengths in her second start.
Capuano originally entered Whitten Way as the morning-line favorite in a stakes at Colonial Downs last weekend, looking to keep her and Cha Cha Baby separated. But on July 28, Cha Cha Baby sold for $460,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July digital sale, clearing the way for Whitten Way to stay home.
“She beat Cha Cha Baby first time out, and they’re two real nice fillies,” Capuano said. “She showed a little bit coming off the pace. She’s pretty talented.”
Martiniwithatwist won in her third start for Capuano on July 31 and also is entered in the Blue Hen. She drew the rail in her first three starts and has done so again in her stakes debut. Capuano said he may scratch.
All nine fillies in the Blue Hen have earned their maiden victory, if not as impressively as Whitten Way. Almas Gone Gamblin will ship from Parx Racing after a front-running victory at 4 1/2 furlongs.
“I thought she’d run well, but obviously didn’t figure she’d break and go to the lead and go wire to wire,” trainer Jamie Ness said. “I didn’t think I had her ready to do that.”
Dover
In the Dover, Capuano entered the colts Lucky Siete and Seven’s Nitro, a comparable pair of sevens. Both earned their maiden victories in maiden-claiming races where Capuano was able to waive the claiming tag.
Seven’s Nitro, a Maryland-bred second-time starter, easily took care of business at Laurel Park in June, kicking clear by six lengths with a 57 Beyer.
“This is the first race they’ve had since,” Capuano said. “If you’re a winner, it’s hard to find a race. But the extra distance, the three-quarters, I don’t think that’s going to hurt him.“
Lucky Siete was not quite as sharp in his June debut at Laurel, but the Delaware-certified colt bounced back to win in gritty fashion at Delaware in July.
Capuano has the one to beat in the Blue Hen, but the Dover’s field of six 2-year-olds is arguably more likely to challenge his runners. Snowhomish, a second-time starter trained by Jorge Delgado, earned a 71 Beyer in a $25,000 maiden-claiming race on July 31, driving away by 8 1/2 lengths.
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