Dunbar Road Tops Delaware Handicap Entries

Peter Brant's Dunbar Road tops the $400,000 Delaware Handicap (G2) July 11 at Delaware Park. The filly and mare summer classic has attracted a field of eight and will be run at 1 1/8 miles for the first time. The race was previously contested at 1 1/4 miles. 

In her only outing this year, Dunbar Road posted a 1 3/4-length victory May 23 in the 1 1/16-mile Shawnee Stakes at Churchill Downs. Last year, the 4-year-old daughter of Quality Road  trained by Chad Brown won the Mother Goose Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park and the Alabama Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course before placing third in the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.

Dunbar Road closed her 2019 campaign with a fifth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) in November at Santa Anita Park.

The morning-line second choice is Mathis Stable, Madaket Stables, and Doheny Racing Stable's Bellera. The 4-year-old trained by Todd Pletcher finished seventh in the June 6 Ginger Punch Stakes on the Gulfstream Park grass.

The daughter of Bernardini  came in third May 16 in the seven-furlong Musical Romance Stakes at Gulfstream. In her only other outing this year, she won the 1 1/8-mile Ladies Handicap Jan. 19 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Last year, she posted three wins and two seconds from six starts, including a score in the Comely Stakes (G3).  

"We like the mile and an eighth around two turns for her," Pletcher said. "She's shown that is what she likes. We're happy to get her back to what she's best suited for."

Pletcher has also entered Repole Stable's Always Shopping. In her most recent start, the 4-year-old daughter of Awesome Again finished fourth going 1 1/8 miles on the grass in the June 7 Treasure Coast Stakes at Gulfstream. In her other outing this year, the Kentucky-bred finished third in a one-mile allowance-level race April 18 at the South Florida track.

Last year, she won a pair of stakes at Aqueduct, including the Gazelle Stakes (G2), before completing her 3-year-old campaign with a sixth in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) at Pimlico Race Course.

Gentle Ruler Back to Defend Robert G. Dick Memorial Title

Morsches Stable's Gentle Ruler will seek a repeat victory in the $125,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (G3T) one race before the featured Delaware Handicap. The 1 3/8-mile turf affair for fillies and mares has attracted a field of 10.

Last year, Gentle Ruler posted a 2 3/4-length win in the race. The Kentucky-bred mare followed with a fourth in the Aug. 4 Fasig-Tipton Waya Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga, a half-length score in the 1 5/16-mile Ramsey Farm Stakes at Kentucky Downs in September, and a 2 1/2-length victory in the 1 1/2-mile Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland in October.  

The 5-year-old daughter of Colonel John trained by Ian Wilkes opened her 2020 campaign with a second in the March 28 Orchid Stakes Presented by Rood and Riddle (G3T) at Gulfsteam. In her most recent effort June 6, she posted a head victory in a 1 3/8-mile turf allowance at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Graham Motion will be going for his ninth victory in the race when he sends Andrew Stone's Mrs. Sippy postward.  

The 5-year-old daughter of Blame  will be making her first start of 2020. Last year, the Kentucky-bred ended her campaign unplaced in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Santa Anita. She won the Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga and finished second in the Flower Bowl Stakes (G1T) at Belmont.

"We got delayed a little bit with her this year," Motion said. "In Florida, she bumped her eye in her stall on a hinge, so we had to back off with her for several weeks and then we had the whole COVID issue, so here we are. We tend to have nice fillies that fit this race. It is a local graded race, and let's face it, there are not a great deal of races like this around. It is an excellent opportunity for these fillies and mares, so it is a race we always have on the radar."