The most significant weekend of the season at Delaware Park kicks off Saturday with a quartet of stakes, highlighted by the $300,000 Delaware Oaks (G3) for three-year-old fillies over 1 1/16 miles.
The field of seven is led by Power Squeeze, who established herself as a filly of some substance in Florida over the winter when taking both the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) and the Suncoast S., the latter Tampa Bay Downs’ signature event in the division.
Power Squeeze was subsequently a longshot in both the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Acorn (G1). Always far behind at Churchill Downs, Power Squeeze plunked up for sixth in the field of 14 over a sloppy surface. Her position was better in the Acorn at Saratoga, but she again proved no match for division leader Thorpedo Anna when finishing more than six lengths behind in third.
The significant drop in class on Saturday will help Power Squeeze, but the Delaware Oaks is no gimme. Juddmonte homebred Sidamara, from the barn of Bill Mott, is a filly on the rise after back-to-back overnight scores on the tough Kentucky circuit. The Oaks marks the stakes debut for the daughter of Arrogate and Canadian champion Spring in the Air.
“She is doing quite well and developing nicely,” Mott said. “We are hoping she runs well which will encourage us to consider the Alabama (G1) at Saratoga in August.”
Others of note include Mystic Lake, whose trio of one-turn stakes wins includes a dominating score last out in the Miss Preakness (G3). Stakes winner Call Another Play was most recently third in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2), though the form of that race was not flattered when the winning Gun Song finished last of eight in the Acorn.
The most intriguing of the undercard stakes is the other for sophomore fillies, the $150,000 Christiana S. going nine furlongs on the turf. The betting market is likely to find favor with the multiple Grade 3-placed Style Points, last seen winning a photo in a Keeneland allowance in late April. Stakes newcomer Whiskey Decision is another to watch following an impressive allowance win at Churchill Downs for Arnaud Delacour.
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