Calamity Kate Pulls Delaware Oaks Shocker

George and Lori Hall's Calamity Kate, an entry-level allowance winner at Monmouth Park two starts back, took the advantage early and never looked back en route to a 50-1 upset in the $300,375 Delaware Oaks (gr. III) July 11 at Delaware Park.

Brereton Jones' Lovely Maria, the 2-5 favorite off of her victory in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), checked in fifth in the eight-filly field after a wide trip throughout.

With Edgar Prado riding for trainer Kelly Breen, Calamity Kate got away with moderate fractions early, but when the time came to run, the 3-year-old filly by Yes It's True   out of the Tiznow   mare Justmeandmyshadow did just that. She set fractions of :23.63 for the opening quarter-mile and :47.23 for the half-mile, and then continued well with six furlongs in 1:10.92 and one mile in 1:35.87.

The final time for 1 1/16 miles on a fast track was 1:41.79, just a fifth of a second off the track record set in 1998. Prado also won the $50,000 Cape Henlopen Stakes with Augustin Stable's Holiday Star earlier on the program.

Calamity Kate, bred in Kentucky by K & G Stables, in her previous start June 6 finished eighth in the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park, but Breen said she was slammed at the start and lost any chance.

"She had a bad break at Belmont but has been training very well," the trainer said. "We had a couple of horses nominated to this race, and I guess we came up with the right horse to run here. I told Edgar (Prado) just ride your race, and he did."

Breen said his sister texted him a photo of a memento from his late father just before the race.

"It came over right before my phone died, so I guess this was meant to be," he said with much emotion in his voice. "It's a matter of being in the right place at the right time."

Calamity Kate, second in the grade II Demoiselle Stakes last year at 2, won by 1 3/4 lengths over grade I winner Peace and War, who rallied from seventh. Hip Hop N Jazz finished third, three lengths behind Peace and War.

The winner paid $110.80 to win. Because of heavy show wagering involving 1-5 shot Lovely Maria, Calamity Kate paid $79.40 to show, second-place finisher Peace and War paid $29.40 to show, and Hip Hop N Jazz returned $59.40 for third.

Larry Jones, trainer of Lovely Maria, had no excuses for her fifth-place finish but did say before the race he believed the filly could be vulnerable in her first start since May 1. Jones also ran Calumet Farm's White Clover in the Delaware Oaks; she stalked Calamity Kate for seven furlongs before dropping back in the lane.

"We were right where we wanted to be," Jones said. "We were hoping to make sure nobody stole the race, but they stole it."

Jones had said the plan calls for Lovely Maria to race in the Alabama Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course in August. As for Calamity Kate, Breen said he had no idea what's next for the filly.

"Right now, I just want to go home and take a nap," he said.