Red Ruby Invades For Delaware Oaks

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Red Ruby Invades For Delaware Oaks
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Photo: Chad B. Harmon
Red Ruby wins the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico Race Course

Kentucky invader Red Ruby looks to build off the form that powered her to her first graded stakes win last time out when she starts July 7 against nine challengers in the $300,000 Delaware Oaks (G3) at Delaware Park. 

Sandra Sexton and Brandi Nicholson's daughter of Tiznow  has three wins from five starts, and last out won the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) by 4 3/4 lengths over a sloppy track at Pimlico Race Course May 18. That outing marked a big step forward from the Kellyn Gorder-trained filly, as she entered off a fourth-place run in the $200,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) March 10 at Oaklawn Park.

In her only other outing this year, Red Ruby posted 2 1/2-length score Feb. 10 in the one-mile $125,000 Martha Washington Stakes over a sloppy track at Oaklawn.

"She has never been better," Gorder said. "She has been training great, and I think she has grown a bit and gotten a little taller even since the Black-Eyed Susan. She has put together some nice works and we could not be happier with her right now." 

Regardless of course condition, Gorder knows Red Ruby typically brings her "A" game.

"We do not have to worry about it raining, that is for sure," Gorder said. "It is nice to know that whatever she runs on, she will show up."

Fellow graded stakes winner Coach Rocks, co-highweight at 122 pounds, will seek to turn the tables on Red Ruby after finishing second behind that rival in the Black-Eyed Susan. The Dale Romans-trained daughter of Oxbow  finished seventh in the May 4 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) after breaking through one start earlier to capture the March 31 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) for Roddy Valente, RAP Racing, and West Point Thoroughbreds.

"She is training great coming into the race, and she is ready to run," Romans said.

Coach Rocks has been a late bloomer who lost her first six starts before finally earning her maiden going 1 1/16-miles at Gulfstream Park Feb. 14 with an eight-length victory in gate-to-wire fashion.

"It just took her awhile to get her feet under her," Romans said. "It took her a little bit, but she has developed into the filly we knew she was. She is still getting better, so we are excited about her future."

Trainer John Servis has entered both Blue Strike and Blue Union Rags in the Delaware Oaks. In their last outing, Blue Strike ran second and Blue Union Rags finished fourth June 6 in the mile and 70-yard $50,000 Light Hearted Stakes at Delaware Park.

"Blue Strike has continually gotten better since we put blinkers on her," Servis said. "She ran huge last time. She did not get away from the gate smoothly and she got fanned wide. Blue Union Rags did not get the best start either. She is a deep closer, so she is going to need things to set up right for her. She is a game filly. If things do set up for her, she will be coming."

Like Coach Rocks, Gio Game was entered in the Mother Goose Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park last weekend but was scratched and rerouted to the 1 1/16-miles Delaware Oaks. The Mark Casse trainee is seeking her first stakes win and ran third behind multiple grade 1 winner and race winner Monomoy Girl last time out in the June 9 Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont.

The Delaware Oaks is one of two graded stakes on Saturday's card at Delaware Park. The $200,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (G3T) features a field of nine going 1 3/8-miles headed by Creative Thinking, winner of the May 26 Keertana Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs.




Entries: Delaware Oaks (G3)

Delaware Park, Saturday, July 07, 2018, Race 10

  • Grade III
  • 1 1/16m
  • Dirt
  • $300,000
  • 3 yo Fillies
  • 5:45 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Mo Shopping (KY) Mario G. Pino 116 Todd A. Pletcher 8/1
2 2Blue Union Rags (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Carol Cedeno 116 John C. Servis 20/1
3 3Takechargedelilah (OH)Keeneland Sales Graduate Trevor McCarthy 118 Todd A. Pletcher 10/1
4 4Maya Malibu (KY) Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. 116 H. Graham Motion 8/1
5 5Blue Strike (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Alex Cintron 116 John C. Servis 10/1
6 6Cascanueces (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Kendrick Carmouche 116 Todd A. Pletcher 6/1
7 7Prospective Lady (FL) Daniel Centeno 120 Gerald S. Bennett 12/1
8 8Coach Rocks (KY) Rajiv Maragh 122 Dale L. Romans 5/1
9 9Red Ruby (KY) Paco Lopez 122 Kellyn Gorder 3/1
10 10Gio Game (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Julien R. Leparoux 116 Mark E. Casse 4/1


Entries: Robert G. Dick Memorial S. (G3T)

Delaware Park, Saturday, July 07, 2018, Race 8

  • Grade IIIT
  • 1 3/8m
  • Turf
  • $200,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 4:45 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1La Manta Gris (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Julien R. Leparoux 118 George R. Arnold, II 8/1
2 2Good Roll (MD) Rajiv Maragh 118 Kevin C. Boniface 15/1
3 3Broken Bridle (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Alex Cintron 118 Gary Capuano 15/1
4 4Palinodie (FR) Trevor McCarthy 118 Christophe Clement 5/2
5 5Esquisse (GB) Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. 118 H. Graham Motion 9/2
6 6Sweet Sandy (VA) Angel Suarez 118 Danielle Hodsdon 15/1
7 7Tricky Escape (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Christopher P. DeCarlo 118 Lynn A. Ashby 8/1
8 8Creative Thinking (KY) Adam Beschizza 120 Thomas F. Proctor 7/2
9 9Giovanna Blues (KY) Mario G. Pino 118 Michael W. Dickinson 6/1