Betting the Del ’Cap on a $20 Budget

The past two editions of the Grade 1, $750,000 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park have been extremely memorable in that they featured victories by champion Royal Delta.
With the 10-time graded stakes winner now retired, a new group of six fillies and mares will vie for the massive purse and all of the prestige associated with the Del ’Cap.
While Royal Delta is not in the race this year, there certainly is a standout. Her name is Princess of Sylmar.
The 4-year-old filly by Majestic Warrior would easily clear the $2-million mark with a win in the Delaware Handicap, and she's certainly expected to do so. Princess of Sylmar was made the even-money morning-line favorite for the Del ’Cap.
Princess of Sylmar comes off of a tough loss - by a mere head - to one of her biggest rivals, Close Hatches, in the Ogden Phipps Stakes last month at Belmont. However, she was gaining ground with every stride late in the race, which was run at 1 1/16 miles, and should enjoy stretching out to 1 ¼ miles, a distance at which she won in her only previous try.
The only thing that could potentially hurt Princess of Sylmar’s chances is the fact that she’s typically a deep closer and there’s no speed in this race to set up her closing rally.
Belle Gallantey is a mare who has at least shown some speed from the gate, despite being nowhere near the early pace when she tried graded stakes company for the first time last out in the Ogden Phipps. She actually ran deceptively well in that race, closing into the pace and finishing less than two lengths behind the winner. That was not a bad race for a filly who lost her first nine career races before moving up the class ranks over the past few years.
Another interesting horse who has at least been close to an early pace, on occasion, is Molly Morgan. She enters the Delaware Handicap off a blowout, four-length win over Flashy American (also entered in this race) in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 14. That effort was a career top for Molly Morgan and a bounce (regression off of a career-best performance) certainly is a possibility. It still is hard to completely ignore her on the heels of that last race.
It can be difficult to find value in races with such a clear standout, as Princess of Sylmar is here, and it becomes even harder with a field as small as this one with just six horses entered. Our best hope for cashing a nice ticket, especially on a $20 budget would be to hope that a longshot like Belle Gallantey can not only work her way into the exacta but, in fact, win the race. With that in mind, here’s my strategy for playing the race on a $20 budget.
Selections: #6 Princess of Sylmar - #1 Belle Gallantey - #3 Molly Morgan - #2 Flashy American
Strategy
$5 exacta box 1, 6 ($10)
$5 trifecta 1, 6 with 3 with 1, 6 ($10)

$750,000 Delaware Handicap
Saturday, Race 9 at Delaware Park, 4:51 PM E.T.
1 ¼ miles on dirt, 3-year-olds and up Fillies and Mares

PP

Horse

Jockey

Weight

Trainer

1

Belle Gallantey (KY)

Jose L. Ortiz

114

Rudy R. Rodriguez

2

Flashy American (KY)

Alex Cintron

118

Kenneth G. McPeek

3

Molly Morgan (KY)

Corey J. Lanerie

119

Dale L. Romans

4

Gamay Noir (KY)

Daniel Centeno

116

Martin D. Wolfson

5

Bryan's Jewel (KY)

Jevian Toledo

112

McLean Robertson

6

Princess of Sylmar

Javier Castellano

123

Todd A. Pletcher