Delaware Oaks features Grade 1 winners Round Pound and Sis
City
Once beaten ROUND POUND (Awesome Again), winner of the Acorn S. (G1) and
Fantasy S. (G2) in her last two starts, and Ashland S. (G1) heroine SIS CITY
(Slew City Slew) highlight a field of eight sophomore fillies entered for
Saturday’s $500,000 Delaware Oaks (G2). The talented lasses will meet for the
first time in the 1 1/16-mile event.
Trained by John Servis, Round Pond dropped her career bow in mid-February and
has won four straight starts since, including the one-mile Acorn at Belmont Park
by 1 1/2 lengths on June 4. She defeated Smuggler (Unbridled), who came back to
win the Mother Goose S. (G1), and Splendid Blended (Unbridled’s Song), who
returned to defeat older distaffers in the Vanity H. (G1) in her last
appearance. Stewart Elliott rides.
Sis City finished fourth as the favorite in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) most
recently, but she doesn’t appear to care for Churchill Downs (0-0-1 from three
starts) and should be much more formidable racing outside of Louisville,
Kentucky. The bay filly dominated her competition in her first two attempts this
year, winning the Davona Dale S. (G2) by 16 lengths and Ashland by 10 1/2, and
Sis City will make her first start under the direction of new trainer Bobby
Frankel on Saturday.
The complete field, from the rail with pilots and weights, is LISAIZED (Wayne
County [Ire]), Eriluis Vaz, 115; BAYOU BREEZE (A.P. Indy), no rider, 115; PLEASANT CHIMES (Pleasant Tap), no rider, 119; BROOKE’S
HALO (Southern Halo), Jason Lumpkins, 119; R LADY JOY (Vicar), Jose Lezcano,
119; Sis City, Edgar Prado, 122; DANCE AWAY CAPOTE (Capote), Rafael Bejarano,
119; and Round Pond, 122.
The $300,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial Breeders’ Cup H. and $100,000 R.R.M.
Carpenter Jr. Memorial H. will also be held Saturday at Delaware Park. The
former drew an overflow of 15 for fillies and mares for 11 furlongs on the turf,
and Grade 2 winner HONEY RYDER (Lasting Approval) is the 120-pound highweight.
The Carpenter, which will be held at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, attracted
eight runners, including nine-time stakes victor CHEROKEE’S BOY (Citidancer),
who exits wins in the Skip Away S. and Brandywine H.