How to Make Money Betting Lovely Maria in the Delaware Oaks

Lovely Maria makes her first start since her Kentucky Oaks win in Saturday's Delaware Oaks. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
It has been more than two months since Lovely Maria was victorious the $1 million Kentucky Oaks, and scores of racing fans have been anxiously awaiting Lovely Maria’s return to action after capturing that signature race. Since winning the Kentucky Oaks, Lovely Maria has been stabled at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del. and on Saturday, Lovely Maria is scheduled to compete in the $300,000 Delaware Oaks. 
Considering that Lovely Maria (#5) most recently won the Kentucky Oaks (one of America’s most important races for 3-year-old fillies), it should come as no surprise that Lovely Maria is expected to be a heavy betting favorite when facing off against easier competition in Saturday’s Delaware Oaks. Simply put, Lovely Maria is expected to win, and many people, including myself, will be shocked if she does not come away with a victory on Saturday.
Not content with settling for a win bet on a heavy favorite in Lovely Maria, my plan is to try to find one or two entrants in the Delaware Oaks that may be best-suited to outrun everyone else in the field (except for Lovely Maria) and finish in second place, thereby completing the race’s exacta. Below are the two fillies I am focusing on to finish in second behind Lovely Maria:
#3 Bar of Gold: This filly has won three of her four career races, and her only defeat came in the Grade I Acorn Stakes last month (a race in which she encountered a lot of traffic trouble from the start). The Delaware Oaks will be the farthest race Bar of Gold has ever competed in, and I believe the added distance will be to her advantage on Saturday. Bar of Gold’s jockey, Alex Cintron, wins a terrific 23 percent of his races at Delaware Park.
#8 Peace and War: Peace and War actually began her racing career in Great Britain, and she saw international success early in her career by virtue of her win in the Grade I Darley Alcibiades Stakes in Kentucky last fall. Hopes were high for Peace and War after that win in the Alcibiades, but things apparently did not go well for her over the winter as she returned to the races with two poor efforts. However, Peace and War “woke up” in her most recent race (which was also her first race for world-class trainer Graham Motion), so perhaps she is ready for more improvement on Saturday.      
Betting strategy: 
$10 exacta 5-3$10 exacta 5-8
$300,000 Delaware OaksSaturday, Race 10, Delaware Park,5:45 p.m. ET1 1/16 miles, dirt, 3-year-old fillies

PP

Horse

Jockey

Trainer

ML Odds

Owner

1

Hip Hop N Jazz

Brian Pedroza

Tom Proctor

10-1

Heider Family Stables

2

Milaya

Kendrick Carmouche

Michael Dilger

15-1

Stephanie and George Autry

3

Bar of Gold

Alex Cintron

John Kimmel

10-1

Mary and Chester Broman Sr.

4

Danzatrice

Trevor McCarthy

Cathal Lynch

8-1

Gainesway Stable

5

Lovely Maria

Kerwin Clark

Larry Jones

1-1

Brereton Jones

6

White Clover

Michael Ritvo

Larry Jones

5-1

Calumet Farm

7

Calamity Kate

Edgar Prado

Kelly Breen

12-1

George and Lori Hall

8

Peace and War

John Velazquez

Graham Motion

6-1

Qatar Racing