Endine Stakes highlights Owners Day card
The $150,000 Grade III Endine Stakes highlights the 17th annual Owners Day card to be run at Delaware Park on Saturday at 1:15 p.m. Top performers in the six furlong race for fillies and mares include Keep the Peace, Lady Chace, and Iron Butterfly.
Gary and Mary West's Keep the Peace, who tops the field of eight entered. In her most recent outing, the 4-year-old daughter of Touch Gold finished second in the six furlong Grade II Honorable Miss Stakes at Saratoga on August 9. Previously, the New York-bred trained by Eddie Kenneally ran second in the six furlong Grade I Princess Rooney Stakes at Calder Racecourse on July 11. Her last victory was on February 12 when she notched a 2 ½-length triumph in a six furlong allowance at Gulfstream Park, adding to her career record of three wins, seven seconds and a third from 12 starts with earnings of $313,014.
Gold Square's Lady Chace has been a model of consistency this year, except for her last outing in which she finished fifth beaten 5 ½-lengths in the Honorable Miss at Saratoga. This year, the 4-year-old daughter of Tiznow has posted a record of two wins, two seconds and two thirds from seven starts including victories in the six furlong $100,000 Saylorville Stakes at Praire Meadows on June 26 and a five and a half furlong allowance at the Fair Grounds on February 12. The Kentucky-bred trained by Steve Margolis has a career record of five wins, two seconds and two thirds from 16 starts with earnings of $227,625.
Margolis considers the Honorable Miss to be a one-race clunker and is expecting an improved performance from Lady Chace this Saturday.
"We brought her up to Saratoga from Churchill," said trainer Steve Margolis. "She was training nice at Churchill. We brought her to Saratoga for the week and she trained very well and I was very happy with the gallops. All season, she has run well and competitively. She had a great trip, but did not kick on against some very nice fillies. So far while training over the Delaware strip, she has had two decent works, so we are hoping for a better performance."
Danny Bramer and Eric Gulley's Iron Butterfly is another expected to improve at Delaware Park. “She came out of the race in good order and I have noticed the track here at Delaware has tightened up a bit over the last month,” said trainer Brad Cox. “In her last work over the Delaware track, she worked extremely well."
In her most recent outing, the 5-year-old daughter of Foresty ran sixth in a six furlong Delaware Park allowance. Previously, the Kentucky-bred trained by Brad Cox finished fourth in the six furlong $150,000 Grade II First Flight Handicap at Belmont Park on June 28. This year, she has posted a record of three wins and a second from seven starts. Her lifetime record is five wins, three seconds and a third from 19 starts with earnings of $163,701.


09/08/09 03:56:24 pm,