Delaunay Splashes to Victory in Churchill Downs Stakes
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Like a fine wine, Delaunay has only gotten better with age. The six-year old gelded son of the 1997 Champion Sprinter Smoke Glacken finally started to put this whole racing thing together last year when he scored his first stakes victory in the Kelly’s Landing Stakes over the main track at Churchill Downs. Since then, the only hiccup in an otherwise impeccable record was a fourth place finish in the Sen. Robert C. Byrd Memorial Stakes in which he got caught up in a brutal speed duel and faded to fourth.
Today he returned to the scene of his first stakes victory and came back with another first: his first graded stakes victory. In only his second graded stakes appearance in 39 career starts, Delaunay faced the daunting task of not only beating a field full of talent but doing so over a sloppy track. In the end, none of that mattered as he came home the easiest of winners.
At the break, Rosie Napravnik, second only to Joel Rosario by number of winners, guided Delaunay across the track from the outside post to the four path to press the early pace set by Trinniberg. Delaunay took charge of the race entering the stretch drive and drew off to win by four when Rosie asked him to pick it up. He stopped the clock in 1.22:35 for the seven furlong G2 Churchill Downs Stakes. Thanks to his outside trip, Delaunay and Rosie came back nearly as clean as when they stepped foot on the track despite the muddy conditions.
In his three races this year, Delaunay has nearly doubled his career earnings. His win in today’s Churchill Downs Stakes made him a perfect four for four at Churchill Downs and ran his win streak to six. He also defeated the reigning Sprint Champion in today’s race, but it is difficult to say how much that will count going forward. This was Trinniberg’s first race back in the States after making the trip to Dubai, and I was honestly shocked to see him back in the gate so soon. Dubai Bounce or not, nothing can be taken away from Delaunay’s victory as he was much the best in a field full of stakes winners. I don’t think it is a far reach to say that Delaunay is going to be a major factor in the sprint division as we enter the second half of the year.
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