Grand Contender Eyes Delta Mile Repeat

Seven stakes winners are among the eight-horse field set for the Delta Mile Stakes, one of seven supporting stakes on the Delta Downs Jackpot (gr. III) card Nov. 22.

 

The Delta Mile purse was boosted to $250,000 this year from its previous $150,000 purse, and Maggi Moss's Grand Contender is eying a repeat win in the race after blazing to victory in track-record time of 1:36.89 in last year's edition. Tom Amoss trains the 6-year-old Strong Contender   gelding who won the Texas Mile (gr. III) and Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III) amidst a three-race win streak earlier this year that was halted when he finished third to Sunbean in the Evangeline Mile Stakes in June.

 

Brittlyn Stable's homebred Sunbean has his sights on the winner's share of the Delta Mile purse following his stakes record-setting victory earlier this month at the Vinton, La. track in the Gold Cup Stakes. The 4-year-old Louisiana-bred son of Brahms posted a 4 3/4-length win in 1:37.39 for the one-mile journey and looks to his extend tally of 10 stakes victories, half of which came this year, for trainer Ron Faucheux.

 

Also entered is multiple Argentine group I winner Mystery Train, who gets some class relief after finishing unplaced in his first two U.S. starts, both behind winner Shared Belief: He was ninth in the TVG Pacific Classic (gr. I) Aug. 24 at Del Mar and sixth in the Awesome Again Stakes (gr. I) Sept. 27 at Santa Anita Park for Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal and trainer Darrel Vienna. The son 4-year-old son of Not For Sale won twice at the top level in his native country earlier this year. In back-to-back efforts he won the Republica Argentina-International (Arg-I) May 1 and Grand Premio de Honor (Arg-I) in April.  

 

The field also includes graded stakes winner Code West; former classic starter Decisive Moment, winner of the 2011 Delta Mile; multiple stakes winner Agent Di Nozzo; stakes winner Mighty Brown; and multiple stakes-placed Runaway Stephen.

 

Also on the undercard for the $1 million Delta Jackpot is the$400,000 Delta Princess Stakes (gr. III), $200,000 Treasure Chest Stakes, $150,000 Louisiana Legacy Stakes, $150,000 Louisiana Jewel Stakes, $75,000 Sam's Town Stakes, and $75,000 Orleans Stakes.