Luv Your Neighbor Eyes Breakthrough in Delaware Oaks

Luv Your Neighbor  searches for her first stakes victory in the $300,000 Delaware Oaks (G3) June 13 at Delaware Park.

Last out, the Michael Stidham trainee finished second in the May 1 Eight Belles Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, which is run at 7 furlongs. The daughter of Constitution   stretches back out to 1 1/16 miles, a distance at which she ran second in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) and third in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2). Having now placed in three straight graded stakes races, the Lael Stables-owned filly looks to get her moment in the spotlight.  

"She has been training here (Delaware) and doing really well," Stidham said. "She had her final work on Sunday, so we are ready to go. She has had a solid season so far, running against some of the best 3-year-old fillies in the country. She is such an honest filly who goes out there and gives you everything she has every time she runs. She has enough tactical speed to either be near or on the lead going this distance, so it is just going to depend on whether she is the best on Saturday."

Luv Your Neighbor will face no more than seven rivals. The Brad Cox-trained Sneaky Good , who is cross-entered in the June 13 Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs, will run there instead, Cox told "BloodHorse Monday" co-host Louie Rabaut June 12. 

Big Cuddle Headlines Delaware Derby

All it took was a power outage June 11 at Santa Anita Park to postpone the Affirmed Stakes until June 15. Given the extra time, trainer Bob Baffert said Litmus Test  will scratch from the $300,000 Delaware Derby and go westward to race in California instead, according to Santa Anita publicity.   

The Delaware Derby's expected field of five is now highlighted by the recent Sir Barton Stakes winner Big Cuddle . The Gary Capuano trainee is lightly raced, but has three wins from four starts. 

"He has been running good, he is looking good and he has been training good, so all systems are on go," Capuano said. "The Sir Barton was big for him. You never know until you run them, but he took the next step in that race. It looks like this race might be a little more challenging, so he will have to take another next step in his development. He broke his maiden at Delaware last year and he has been training at Delaware, so it always helps when you can run out of your own stall."

Owned by Pocket 3's Racing, the 3-year-old son of Great Notion 's sole loss came in an allowance optional claiming race in his first start of the year. In addition to the Sir Barton, he has notched one other stakes victory in the Maryland Million Nursery Stakes as a 2-year-old.