Delaunay gets back on track in Aristides
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Once undefeated at Churchill Downs, multiple graded stakes
winner Delaunay got a bit off track
earlier this year. After winning his seasonal debut at Fair Grounds, the
gelding hit a two race slump, including his first ever defeat at the storied
track in the G2 Churchill Downs Stakes earlier this month. Despite his
disappointing finish last out, bettors were still firmly behind the Maggi Moss
owned runner, sending him to post in the G3 Aristides as the heavy favorite.
With the popular Rosie Napravnik in the irons, Delaunay
broke sharply and immediately went to the front to contest the lead. Longshot
Jasizzle gained a short advantage early, but Delaunay and Rosie pounced before
ever hitting the far turn, taking it to the field early and often. Wheeling for
home, the bay gelding had a clear lead and lengthened it to the wire, finishing
3 ½ lengths clear of the runner up.
After a quick 21:86 first quarter, the half went in 44:96.
Five-eighths went in 56:67, and Delaunay stopped the clock in 1.09:59 for the
six furlong affair. Scatman, under Julien Leparoux, ran well to get second, 1 ¾
lengths ahead of third place finisher Captain Genius with Leandro Goncalves
aboard. The order of finish was completed by second betting choice Mico
Margarita, pace-setting Jasizzle, Voodoo Storm, Jake Mo, and Take It Like a
Man.
As the heavy favorite, Delaunay paid just $3.40/$2.80/$2.40
for the win. At 7-1, Scatman returned $5.00/$3.40 for the place, and Captain
Genius was worth $4.60 for the show off odds of 13-1. The $2 exacta paid
$21.60, the $2 trifecta was worth $141, and the $0.10 superfecta paid just
$29.15.
Winning rider Rosie Napravnik stated after the race, “It was a great trip, just how we hoped it
would pan out. He’s so great because he’s so fast and has no problems sitting
off of another horse. He really knows what he’s doing and just cruised home.”
Tom Amoss, who
saddled the winner, agreed with Napravnik’s assessment. “It was one of those
rare races that went the way we thought it would. We had a little speed inside
of us so we laid off of him and tried to increase our advantage on the turn. Once
we did that Delaunay’s courage got very big turning for home and he was able to
do the rest on his own,” he said.
Earning $67,898 for the win, the gelding also cruised ever
closer to that important $1 million in earnings milestone. Claimed back on May
12, 2012 by winning owner Maggi Moss,
Delaunay has proven to be a smart claim. He has racked up a record of 14: 9-2-0
for Ms. Moss and has an overall record of 45: 16-10-3 for total career earnings
of $985,491. By Smoke Glacken and out of the Coronado’s Quest mare Perilous
Night, Delaunay has never been through the auction ring.
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