Winplaceorshowono successfully defends New Castle Stakes title

Winplaceorshowono successfully defended his title in the New Castle Stakes for older sprinters, one of four $100,000 stakes races for Delaware-bred or Delaware-certified runners on Saturday at Delaware Park.

Winplaceorshowono ($5.80) set a contested pace in the New Castle through early splits of 22.23 seconds for the quarter and 45.49 seconds for the half. He and jockey Alex Cintron shook off their challengers to open a two-length lead in the stretch, then held off a final charge from Bubba's Will to cross the wire a half-length in front. They stopped the clock in 1:10.76 for the six furlongs.

The top two were 1 3/4 lengths clear of Guinness Spice, who nosed out Final Prospect to complete the trifecta.

This was just the second start of the year for Winplaceorshowono, who is trained by Dale Capuano for Rickman Racing. The Dance With Ravens colt came into his New Castle defense off a runner-up effort in an allowance optional claimer on Sept. 12 at Delaware.

One race earlier, Shimmering Aspen scored her second straight stakes victory in the $100,000 Tax Free Shopping Distaff for female sprinters, opening up in the lane to win by 3 1/2 lengths under Victor Carrasco. She finished the six furlongs in 1:09.86.

Shimmering Aspen ($3), who is trained by Rodney Jenkins for Hillwood Stable, previously win the Timonium Distaff in Maryland.

Fillupcohensapiker finished second in the Distaff, 1 1/4 lengths clear of defending winner Hailey's Flip in third.

Capuano finished with two stakes victories on Saturday's card, as his pacesetter Come Sundown ($22.60), under Weston Hamilton, held off Smithwick's Spice to win the $100,000 First State Dash for Delaware juveniles by a neck. Those two were four lengths clear of favored Tybalt in third.

Come Sundown has now won both of his starts after taking his debut, a waiver maiden claiming event, in August at Laurel.

Start the Show ($3.80) won the sister race to the First State, the $100,000 Small Wonder Stakes for juvenile fillies, making a strong move on the turn and driving to a 4 1/4-length victory under Carol Cedeno. The Michael Catalano Jr. trainee was previously fourth in the White Clay Creek Stakes at Delaware.

Delaware also carded a pair of $75,000 stakes for horses who had previously started at Delaware in 2018. The George Rosenberger Memorial for fillies and mares was moved off the turf to the main track, and Arraign ($17.60) ran down I'm Pretty Strong in the lane for a half-length victory in the scratch-depleted field. Edwin Gonzalez was aboard for trainer Michael Matz.

Dr Blarney ($4.40) remained unbeaten on the season with his victory in the DTHA Governors Day Handicap for older horses routing on the main track, besting Unbridled Juan by three-quarters of a length under Tammi Piermarini. Joseph DiRico's homebred, who is trained by Karl Grusmark, has won all five starts this year, including stakes at Suffolk and Finger Lakes.