Empire of War Evenly Matched in Kent Stakes

A field of 10 evenly matched 3-year-olds is set to contest the $200,000 Kent Stakes (G3T) July 6 at Delaware Park, led by stakes winners Empire of War and Eons as well as grade 3 winner Solidify.

Three Diamonds Farm's Empire of War was made the 3-1 morning-line favorite and comes into the 1 1/8-mile turf test off a runner-up finish in the June 1 Tale of the Cat Stakes at Monmouth Park, where he outran Solidify by 1 1/2 lengths.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the son of Declaration of War broke his maiden in October at Belmont Park in his third attempt, then won the Awad Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in his next start. Subsequent Palm Beach Stakes (G3T) winner and American Turf Stakes Presented by Ram Trucks (G2T) runner-up A Thread of Blue finished third in that one-mile test.

Empire of War—a half brother to dual grade 1 winner Separationofpowers—has not won since but finished third in the April 20 Woodhaven Stakes at Aqueduct in his season debut.

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche has the mount fom the rail.

Arnaud Delacour has entered Eons for owner Mark Grier, and the Giant's Causeway colt could make it four in a row should he win the Kent. After breaking his maiden April 11 at Keeneland in his third start, Eons won a May 17 allowance race at Pimlico Race Course and the Stanton Stakes on the Delaware grass going 1 1/16 miles.

Unraced as a 2-year-old, Eons is making his sixth start this year, and he brings his own pedigree prowess into the field as a full brother to grade 3 winner and Ontario-based sire Giant Gizmo  and Tableaux, who was a two-time group 2 winner in France.

"He is doing very well," Delacour said. "I was very impressed with his last race. It was a good educational race for him, and he came back great. He came with a big run and he galloped out very strongly. I love the added distance for him. The mile and an eighth should suit him well, and I even think this horse will like to go even longer. I really like where we are with him right now." 

Trevor McCarthy will ride from post 7.

Solidify won his first two starts as a 2-year-old on Woodbine's all-weather surface, taking the Grey Stakes (G3) in October and defeating the Mark Casse-trained Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) winner Sir Winston in the process. 

The Tapizar  colt lost his season debut, placing third behind Empire of War in the Tale of the Cat when he was moved to the turf at Monmouth. Solidify is trained by Graham Motion for Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch and will be ridden by Jorge Vargas Jr.

Another in the Kent who has the pedigree but has only been successful twice in six tries is Amerman Racing's Award Winner. The Ghostzapper  colt is a half brother to grade 1 winner and sire Oscar Performance  and grade 3 winner Oscar Nominated.

Trained by Brian Lynch, Award Winner broke his maiden over a sloppy Gulfstream Park track in his second start but finished third and fourth in two efforts on dirt that followed. 

In his first turf start, he finished three-quarters of a length behind Chad Brown's Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) entry Demarchelier at Keeneland. He then returned to win an allowance race at Churchill Downs on the same surface and at the same distance as the Kent.

Gentle Ruler Looks to Extend Streak

Later on the card, the $200,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (G3T) for fillies and mares 3 and older will be contested over 1 3/8 miles. Trained by Ian Wilkes for Morsches Stable, Gentle Ruler will look to extend her win streak to four in the turf test that drew a field of 10 (with one main-track-only entrant). The 4-year-old Colonel John filly is 3-for-3 this year and comes into Saturday's race off a score in the May 25 Keertana Overnight Stakes, where she edged clear of Brad Cox trainee Gaining in the stretch.

Juddmonte Farms' Gaining has finished second in both of her starts this year. She made her North American debut April 26 in the Bewitch Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland. Prior to 2019, the American Post mare raced in France and won the Prix Fille de l'Air (G3) in her last start in the country. Cox has cross-entered her in the July 5 River Memories Stakes at Belmont Park.

Entries: Kent S. (G3T)

Delaware Park, Saturday, July 06, 2019, Race 6

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo
• 4:03 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
5	1He's No Lemon (KY)	Feargal Lynch	116	H. Graham Motion	8/1
10	1AShootin the Breeze (KY)	Feargal Lynch	116	H. Graham Motion	8/1
1	2Empire of War (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	116	Todd A. Pletcher	3/1
2	3Award Winner (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Brian A. Lynch	6/1
3	4Critical Data (IRE)	Sheldon Russell	116	Richard L. Valentine	15/1
4	5Sharetheblame (KY)	Alex Cintron	116	Juan Arriagada	10/1
6	6Surf and Turf (KY)	Joe Bravo	116	John C. Servis	10/1
7	7Eons (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	116	Arnaud Delacour	5/1
8	8Solidify (KY)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	116	H. Graham Motion	4/1
9	9Aspect (PA)	UNKNOWN	116	Timothy F. Ritchey	12/1

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

Delaware Park, Saturday, July 06, 2019, Race 8

• Grade IIIT
• 1 3/8m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:12 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
3	1Pamina (KY)	Alex Cintron	118	Michael W. Dickinson	10/1
8	1ATheodora B. (KY)	Alex Cintron	118	Michael W. Dickinson	10/1
1	2Steelin Magnolias (FL)	Ademar Santos	118	Stacy Lane Hendry	15/1
2	3Gaining (GB)	Shaun Bridgmohan	118	Brad H. Cox	3/1
4	4Gentle Ruler (KY)	Chris Landeros	122	Ian R. Wilkes	4/1
5	5Coachwhip (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Jack Sisterson	6/1
6	6Vevina (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	120	Philip D'Amato	8/1
7	7Layla Noor (KY)	Feargal Lynch	118	Arnaud Delacour	12/1
9	8Lemon Zip (ON)	Tyler Conner	120	Niall Saville	8/1
10	9Osare (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Jonathan Thomas	5/1
11	10Gotham Gala (KY)	Daniel Centeno	124	Arnaud Delacour	8/1