Presious Passion 4th in Delaware Return

Patricia Generazio’s Presious Passion, who was sidelined for this year’s running of Monmouth’s Grade 1 United Nations Stakes after winning two years in a row, returned to the races Wednesday at Delaware Park, running fourth in a turf allowance race.

The 7-year-old son of Royal Anthem, who has not won a race since his trip to Dubai in March (where he finished last in the Grade 1 Sheema Classic), was sent to a local farm after running seventh in the Monmouth Stakes (G3) here in June.

Trainer Mary Hartmann brought him back to her barn at Monmouth in August, and Presious Passion has been training steadily since. Wednesday’s mile and a sixteenth race at Delaware was just his fourth start of 2010.

“I ran a short horse,” Hartmann said, “but that race will really help him.

“He was just so on the muscle that he went too fast too early,” the trainer said of the splits Presious Passion set the first half-mile (:23 and :46 3/5). “He got tired, but didn’t drop out of it. He made a little move late to hold fourth.

“He came back great,” Hartmann said. “I don’t have any plans for him right now, but he’s almost back to where I want him.”