Eres Tu Goes for Third Straight Win in Allaire du Pont
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Photo: Jim Duley/Maryland Jockey Club
Eres Tu wins the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes at Laurel Park
Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson's Eres Tu, unbeaten in two starts since returning from more than a year layoff, goes after her third straight win and second in a stakes in the $150,000 Allaire du Pont Stakes (G3) Dec. 26 at Laurel Park.
The 1 1/8-mile dirt race for fillies and mares is traditionally contested over Preakness Stakes (G1) weekend but was moved following racing's return from a spring COVID-19 pause to serve as the headliner on a post-Christmas program.
Grade 2-placed last year at 3 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots when trained by Steve Asmussen, Eres Tu is now based at Fair Hill Training Center with trainer Arnaud Delacour, who stayed patient bringing the Malibu Moon filly back to the races.
"I got her early in the summer, and she looked great. She's a big filly; she's 17 hands at least. Right away I really liked her," Delacour said. "Everything she did before me she probably wasn't at her best because she's so big. She probably needed a little bit of time, so the owner gave her plenty of time and she came back really strong. She filled out nicely and to me she's a very nice prospect."
Eres Tu won her 4-year-old bow in an Oct. 14 allowance at Keeneland before taking the Nov. 28 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes at Laurel.
Video: Thirty Eight Go Go S. (BT)
"I was not surprised because when you look at her form when she was with Steve Asmussen before, she ran against some grade 1 fillies," Delacour said, referring to grade 1 winners Street Band and Serengeti Empress.
Flying P Stable, R. A. Hill Stable, and trainer Danny Gargan's Ice Princess enters the du Pont off a runner-up finish in a swift renewal of the 1 1/8-mile Comely Stakes (G3) Nov. 27 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Palace Malice filly won the Feb. 23 Maddie May at Aqueduct and was beaten a neck when second in the Sept. 4 Fleet Indian at Saratoga Race Course, both against fellow New York-breds.
"She should have won the race at Saratoga. She had a really bad trip," Gargan said. "She got stuck down on the inside and she doesn't like to be on the inside of horses. That's her big thing. She likes to be outside. But she's really never done anything wrong."
Ice Princess, a 3-year-old facing older mares, has been first or second in four of her five 2020 starts.
Howling Pigeon Farms, Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Madaket Stables' Needs Supervision beat Eres Tu in the 2019 Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds and last November captured the seven-furlong Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel. Based with trainer Jerry O'Dwyer at Laurel, where she owns a local record of 2-2-2 from seven starts, Needs Supervision has run in 10 consecutive stakes including a third last out in Laurel's six-furlong Primonetta Stakes Nov. 28, her first start in 8 1/2 months.
Needs Supervision will race for the first time with blinkers after losing her last five races
"We've had them on her in the morning and she's pretty relaxed in them, which is nice," said O'Dwyer. So, we're going to put them on her and help her because she gets a little high-strung at times."
Alittlelesstalk, Another Broad, Landing Zone, and Wicked Awesome complete the field.
Laurel Park, Saturday, December 26, 2020, Race 8Entries: Allaire DuPont S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Alittlelesstalk (WA)
Carol Cedeno
121
Roddina A. Barrett
15/1
2
2Another Broad (MD)
Johan Rosado
123
Steven M. Asmussen
7/2
3
3Landing Zone (KY)
Angel Cruz
120
Claudio A. Gonzalez
6/1
4
4Eres Tu (KY)
Trevor McCarthy
123
Arnaud Delacour
2/1
5
5Ice Princess (NY)
Victor R. Carrasco
120
Danny Gargan
3/1
6
6Wicked Awesome (KY)
Horacio Karamanos
123
A. Ferris Allen, III
6/1
7
7Needs Supervision (KY)
Sheldon Russell
125
Jeremiah O'Dwyer
12/1
