White Clover preps for Delaware Oaks by winning Our Mims

At the top of the stretch of the $50,000 Our Mims Stakes at Delaware Park on Wednesday, it looked as if Peace and War was going to cruise. She had made a sharp move to take a short lead in the mile-and-70-yard race and jockey Jevian Toledo looked like he had a lot of horse left.

But White Clover, the 7-1 pacesetter, was not finished yet and she dug in for the stretch drive and put Peace and War away, defeating the winner of last fall's Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths.

White Clover is based at Delaware Park with trainer Larry Jones and was ridden by Kerwin Clark. She paid $16.40 as the fourth choice in the eight-horse field and was timed in 1:41.01.

The Our Mims is the local prep for the $300,000 Delaware Oaks on July 11, a race that Jones won in 2008 with Proud Spell. Jones said White Clover would likely make her next start in the Oaks.

Jones is loaded with talented 3-year-old fillies this year. I'm a Chatterbox and Lovely Maria ran first and second in the Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds. I'm a Chatterbox came back to win the Fair Grounds Oaks. Lovely Maria then won the Kentucky Oaks with I'm a Chatterbox finishing third.

White Clover set the pace in the Rachel Alexandra but tired to finish seventh.

“She has kind of gotten over shadowed in our barn because of Lovely Maria and I’m a Chatterbox,” Jones said. “But she is a really nice filly. When we pitched her in the Rachel Alexandra a few races back, our intent was to run one-two-three and we ran one-two. But White Clover is a really nice filly and hopefully we will hear a lot more from her later this summer. ”

White Clover broke running in the Our Mims and Clark had to fight with her a little to keep her from going too fast as she cut out splits of 23.20 seconds, 47.45, and 1:12.03 on an open lead. She was headed by Peace and War - who was making her first start for Graham Motion - entering the stretch but dug in and prevailed.

Peace and War was never far back while racing in fourth early. She launched a nice outside move on the far turn but was outfinished in the stretch as the 2-1 second choice. Cayman Croc, the 2-1 favorite, saved ground early from the inside post and finished willingly for third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Peace and War.

Motion, who took over the training of Peace and War from Britain-based Olly Stevens following the Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day, was encouraged by her effort.

"I was really pleased with her effort today," Motion said. "The Delaware Oaks definitely is a possibility."

Motion won his second Delaware Oaks last year with Fortune Pearl.

The start of the Our Mims was delayed at least 10 minutes when Catcha Rising Star, also trained by Motion, appeared to sit down in the gate, injuring jockey Julian Pimentel.

Pimentel was placed on a stretcher and taken to nearby Christiana Hospital. Catcha Rising Star was scratched.