After a nose separated them recently in the Grade II Hall of Fame Stakes, Weretheimer et Frere’s Interactif and Earle I. Mack’s Grand Rapport are set to meet again in the $250,000 Grade III Kent Stakes (include $50,000 from the B.C.) at Delaware Park this Saturday. The one mile and one eighth turf event for 3-year-olds has attracted a field of nine. The Kent Stakes has been carded as the eighth race with an approximate post time of 4:24p.m.

In the one mile and one eighth $150,000 Hall of Fame Stakes on the Saratoga lawn on August 13, Interactif, the 4-to-5 favorite, prevailed by a nose over Grand Rapport, who was sent off at odds of 9-to-1.

Trainer Gary Contessa is excited about Grand Rapport and he is looking forward to a rematch with Interactif.

“He is training fantastic and the race he ran Saratoga was outstanding,” said Grand Rapport’s trainer Gary Contessa. “I mean I think he could have won that race. He won the race one jump before the wire and one jump after the wire; he just got nailed right on the wire. He probably should have won the Hall of Fame, but that is racing.”

In his only other start this year, Grand Rapport won a one mile and one eighth turf allowance at Monmouth Park on July 16.

Last year, after breaking his maiden in his career debut on the dirt at Saratoga, the Kentucky-bred was unplaced in both the Grade II Futurity at Belmont and the Grade II Remsen at Aqueduct. He sports a career record of two wins and a second from five starts with earnings of $$112,139. Ramon Dominguez, a five-time Delaware Park leading jockey (2003 through 2006 and 2008), will be returning to Delaware Park for the first time this season for the mount.

“He is just training up a storm,” Contessa said. “He is a really a nice horse. We have always kind of figured he would be a turf horse, but he never got that opportunity as a 2-year-old because he was injured fairly early and we gave him the winter off. Mr. Mack is very patient about fixing problems and he came back with a vengeance. He was training really well before the race at Monmouth, but nobody knew whether or not he would turf. Honestly, I always thought he would turf, but we still did not have prior knowledge of having worked him over the grass. It was kind of a work in progress when we ran him at Monmouth and he responded really well. I am a numbers guy and the day he won at Monmouth, his Ragozin number was as good as any horse in the Hall of Fame Stakes. He was a bit of a long shot in the Hall of Fame, but his number indicated otherwise. He really did belong in that race and we got the race we expected from him. He ran quite well. He certainly looks like has a future and we are pretty excited. I do not like to look to far ahead, but if all goes well I think the Hollywood Derby may be on his agenda later in the year. He is a natural distance horse and he looks like he is getting better. He is training well and he is coming into this race perfect.”

The likely favorite, Interactif will be bringing a career record of four wins, three seconds and a third from 11 starts with earnings of $563,350 into the Kent Stakes. His victory in the Hall of Fame Stakes was his first of the year. Previously, the son of Broken Vow ran second beaten 1 ½-length in the mile and a quarter Grade II Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs. Last year, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Todd Pletcher won the Grade III With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga and the Grade III Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland before closing his 2-year-old campaign by finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita.

Estrorace’s Workin for Hops will make his presence felt. In his most recent outing, the son of City Zip ran third beaten 2-lengths in the mile and a quarter Grade I Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park on August 21. Previously, the Kentucky-bred trained Michael Stidham won the mile and three-sixteenths Grade II American Derby at Arlington Park on July 17. This year, he has also won the mile and a sixteenth $100,000 Arlington Classic and the seven and a half furlong $60,000 Grindstone Stakes at the Fair Grounds. His career record is five wins, two seconds and a third from nine starts with earnings of $396,176.

Going back to the mile and an eighth distance should be to his advantage.

“He is doing fantastic,” said trainer Michael Stidham. “I think so; I think a mile and an eighth is right around his optimum distance, so I think the distance of the race suits him really well.”

Stormy Lord will be making his first career start in the United States after posting a record of four wins and four seconds from eleven starts with earnings of $472,647 at Woodbine Racecourse in Canada. In his last race, the son of Stormy Atlantic ran third beaten ¾-lengths in the mile and a half $500,000 Breeders Stakes on August 15. Previously, the Ontario-bred conditioned by Ian Black notched a half length score in the mile and one eighth $150,000 Toronto Cup on July 24.

Trainer Ian Black wants to keep Stormy Lord within his division and is looking forward to trying him on an inside turf course instead of the outside course at Woodbine.

“There really is nothing left here for straight 3-year-olds, so we would have to run against older horses if we stayed here,” said trainer Ian Black from his barn at Woodbine in Rexdale, Ontario. “I have always wanted to try him on an inside turf course. When I train him on the inside training course here, he seems to handle the turns well and I think it may suit his running style. It is a good opportunity with a nice pot. It is going to be tougher then what he has been facing, but he ran a big race last time going a mile and a half which is probably quite a bit further then he wants to go. I would say he is a better horse at a mile and an eighth then he is at a mile and a half.”