Richland Hills Stable and John Kuehl’s Secret Gypsy will be looking to continue her comeback success when she meets seven rivals in the $150,000 Grade III Endine Stakes at Delaware Park this Saturday. The six furlong event for fillies and mares is named after the two-time Delaware Handicap winner (1958 & 1959) who was locally owned by Christiana Stables.

In her most recent, Secret Gypsy posted a 2-length score in the six furlong Grade II Honorable Miss Stakes at Saratoga on August 8. Previously, the 5-year-old daughter of Sea of Secrets notched a 4 ¾-length score in the six furlong $100,000 Saylorville Stakes at Prairie Meadows on June 25. Before her victory in the Saylorville, her last victory dated back to March 21, 2009 when the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Ronny Werner posted a 1 ¼-length win in the six furlong Grade II Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct. Since then, she ran ninth in the Grade I Humana Distaff at Churchill last May and tenth in the $70,000 Finney Stakes sprinting on the Saratoga turf last August. After an eight month layoff, she returned with a third-place effort in the $50,000 Queen Stakes over the synthetic surface at Turfway Park on March 27. She followed with a fifth in the $75,000 MaKettle Stakes at Indiana Downs on May 3 and a third in the Grade III Winning Colors at Churchill on May 31.

There was a very good reason for the five race winless stint over a fifteen month period.

“She has had some issues with her knees and we have had to operate on her a couple of times, so that has been the biggest reason,” said trainer Ronny Werner. “She has comeback off those operations well. She has done well and we have been fortunate that she has made it back both mentally and physically. It is a mental battle as well, but she is tough. She is a warrior and I have a ton of respect for her and she sure has been running good for us.”

Her last race put the exclamation point on the time and effort dedicated to her comeback and now her team is hoping to keep moving forward.

“We were really pleased with her effort,” Werner said. “She took it to the next level and really stepped up her game, but we are looking forward and hopefully we will keep her on this pattern.”

Secret Gypsy has a career record of seven wins, two seconds and two thirds from 16 starts with earnings of $506,926.

- Lazy Lane Farm’s Edgewater tops a field of ten entered in the mile and an eighth $75,000 DTHA Governors Day Stakes at Delaware Park this Saturday. The race for 3-year-olds and upward is restricted to horses who have started at Delaware Park this year (stake races excluded).

In his last outing, the 4-year-old son of Lion Heart ran second beaten 2-lengths in the mile and a sixteenth $100,000 R.R.M. Carpenter Jr. Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park on July 17. Previously, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Rodney Jenkins recorded a length victory in a mile and a sixteenth allowance at Delaware Park on June 21. This year, his record is two wins and two seconds from six starts with earnings of $73,160. His career record is four wins and three thirds from ten starts with earnings of $110,120.

Cottonwood Stable’s Doc’s Friend has the potential to record the upset. In his last outing, the 4-year-old son of Friend’s Lake ran second in a mile and seventy yard allowance at Delaware Park on July 15. On June 21, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Cindy Jones ran fourth beaten 4 ¾-lengths to Edgewater in a mile and a sixteenth allowance at Delaware Park. He is winless this year from five starts. He sports a career record of three wins, four seconds and three thirds from 19 starts with earnings of $128,374.

“Terry (Thompson) said his last race was the best he has had since he has been here, so we are hoping Doc’s Friend is moving in the right direction,” said trainer Cindy Jones. “He is coming into the race a fresh horse because we have not been able to get him in races, so he is fresh and I think we got him ready.”

The queen of Venezuela, Paula C Racing Stable’s Bambera, will be seeking her first victory of the year in the $75,000 George Rosenberger Memorial at Delaware Park this Saturday. Fifteen have been entered in the mile and a sixteenth turf test for fillies and mares that have raced at Delaware Park this year (stake races excluded).

After nearly a four month layoff, the daughter of the leading South American sire Water Poet, finished second beaten a neck in a mile and a sixteenth turf allowance at Delaware Park on August 5.

Earlier this year, the 4-year-old filly trained by Pablo Andrade stumbled badly at the start and was injured while making her stateside debut in the mile and an eighth Grade III Rampart at Gulfstream Park on March 20.

Last year, she compiled a record of 13 wins and a second from 14 starts with earnings of $832,114. She closed her 2009 campaign with a 4 ½-length triumph in the mile and an eighth $290,000 Grade I Clasico del Caribe at Hippodromo Camarero in San Juan, Puerto Rico. While racing at La Rinconda in Venezuela, she posted nine Grade I victories, defeated older horses four times, and beat the boys 12 times from 17 starts. She won the filly Triple Crown in Venezuela and won two of three races that make up the Venezuelan Triple Crown for male horses. She was voted 2009 Venezuelan Horse of the Year. She has a career record of 16 wins and two seconds from 20 starts with earnings of $931,564.

“She really needed her last race,” said trainer Pablo Andrade. “We are expecting her to run really well this Saturday. We think she will improve off of her last race and we are looking forward to the race on Saturday.”

Cindy and J. Larry Jones’ Haven’s Honey put it all together to win her first race of the year in her most recent. On August 17, the 5-year-old daughter of E. Dubai notched a head victory in a mile and seventy yard allowance at Delaware Park. Previously, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Cindy Jones finished third in a mile and seventy yard allowance on July 26. She has a career record of six wins, four seconds and four thirds from 20 starts with earnings of $210,854. Her career record on the grass is two seconds and a third from four starts.

Although winless on the grass, her trainer Cindy Jones is expecting a top performance.

“She won her last race and she is doing really well,” said trainer Cindy Jones. “She has run on the turf and she has done well. It does not matter turf or dirt. We think she may like the dirt a little better, but she really is a competitive mare and she can run well on both. And if it rains, she likes the off going as well. She is just a little hard knocking mare. When she has to go seven or eight wide, she loses so much ground, but those little legs are just a scrambling. In her last, she just had a perfect trip coming up on the rail to save ground. That was a pretty good field and we think she beat a nice group that day.”

Lael Stable's Nicanor, also a full brother to 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, will be seeking his first career stake victory when he faces eleven rivals in the $50,000 Eight Thirty Overnight Stakes at Delaware Park tomorrow. The eighth race feature, with an approximate post time of 4:24 p.m., is a mile and seventy yard turf event for 3-year-olds and upward.

Nicanor has been away since running third in the mile and a sixteenth $97,000 Sussex Stakes, which was originally scheduled to be run on the grass but was transferred to the main track due to rain, at Delaware Park on July 10. Previously, the 4-year-old son of Dynaformer notched a 2 ½-length triumph in a mile and a sixteenth turf allowance at Delaware Park on June 16. In his two other outings this year, the Kentucky-bred trained by Michael Matz ran fifth in a turf allowance at Keeneland on April 8 and he followed by running sixth in the Grade II Dixie on the Pimlico grass on May 15.

Last year, Nicanor recorded two victories from five starts. Both of those wins were at Delaware Park and on the grass. On May 13, he broke his maiden by 15 ¼-lengths going a mile and a sixteenth and then he followed with 1 ¾-length triumph versus allowance company going a mile and an eighth on June 17. He his three-for-three with a combined margin of victory of 19 ½-lengths over the Delaware Park turf course. His career record is three wins, two seconds and a third from nine starts with earnings of $96,440.

Candy DeBartolo’s Life at Ten won the $750,000 Grade II Delaware Handicap, the first Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifier of the year for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, at Delaware Park today.

The 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon ran her winning streak to six straight and her trainer Todd Pletcher equaled the Delaware Handicap record of four for most victories by a trainer. Henry Clark, the trainer for Christiana Stables, won four Delaware Handicaps in 1958 and 1959 with Endine and 1969 and 1970 with Obeah. Todd Pletcher won the Delaware Handicap in 2001 with Irving’s Baby, in 2006 with Fleet Indian and in 2007 with Unbridled Belle.

Life at Ten cut early fractions of :49.75 for the half and 1:14.01 before completing the mile and a quarter in 2:03.21. The Kentucky-bred returned $3.20 as the favorite in the field of six. Miss Singhsix, with Jose Valdivia, Jr., finished second 2 ¾-lengths in front of Funny Moon, with Alan Garcia, in third.

“On paper it looked like she was closing the speed, but you never know,” and trainer Todd Pletcher. “She was fortunate to get an easy first quarter and half and she really had a lot left in the stretch, We will probably look at the Personal Ensign at Saratoga next and go from there. It is just special to win the Delaware Handicap because it is such an important race for fillies and mares. We have always looked at the Del ‘Cap as a great opportunity. It has a great tradition and great purse and we have been fortunate enough to win the race four times.”
###

Juddmonte Farms’ Treat Gently notched a victory in the $200,000 Grade III Robert G. Memorial ($50,000 included Breeders’ Cup Fund) at Delaware Park today. With John Velazquez aboard, the 5-year-old daughter of Cape Cross scored by 1 ¼-lengths and returned $5.40 as the second choice in the field of ten. A She’s Adorable finished second ¾-lengths in front of Ainamaa, with Abel Castellano, in third. The 3-to-2 favorite, Gozzip Girl, with Elvis Trujillo, finished fourth. The final time for the mile and three-eighths on a firm turf course was 2:19.02.

Treat Gently, a Great Britain-bred trained by William Mott, raised her career record to five wins from 14 starts with earnings of $482,000.

“When I asked her she really responded,” said winning jockey John Velazquez. “She is something and she is very nice.”

Turtle Bird Stable’s Sir Whimsey notched a victory in the $100,000 R.R.M. Carpenter Jr. Memorial at Delaware Park today.

With Alan Garcia aboard, the 6-year-old son of Jump Start posted a 2-length victory and returned $5.40 as the second choice in the field of five. Edgewater, with A.R. Napravnik, finished second a half length in front of Alma d’Oro, with John Velazquez, in third. The After cutting early fractions of :46.42 for the half and 1:10.54 for the three-quarters Our Edge, With Jeremy Rose faded to fourth. The final time for the mile and a sixteenth over a fast main track was 1:43.00.

Sir Whimsey raised his career record to five wins from 24 starts with earnings of $504534.

Robert LaPenta’s Our Edge tops a field of five in the mile and a sixteenth $100,000 R.R.M. Carpenter Jr. Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park this Saturday.

Last year, Our Edge impressively broke his maiden at Delaware Park by notching an 8 ¾-length triumph in his third career start. The Florida-bred trained by Nicholas Zito followed by posting a head victory in the mile and a sixteenth $70,000 Cornado’s Quest at Monmouth Park and then a 7-length score in the mile and a sixteenth $150,000 Grade III Barbaro Stakes at Delaware Park. He had not won since, until his most recent outing when he posted a 2-length win a mile and seventy yard allowance at Monmouth Park on June 26. The 4-year-old son of The Cliff’s Edge has a career record of four wins, a second, and a third from 12 starts with earnings of $229,870.

$100,000 R.R.M. Carpenter Jr. Memoria Stakes

For 3-year-olds and upward

At one mile and a sxiteenth

PP
HORSE
OWNER
TRAINER
JOCKEY
Wg
OD

1
Our Edge
Robert LaPenta
Nicholas Zito
Jeremy Rose
123
8/5

2
Alma d’Oro
Robert & Mary Bourque
Todd Pletcher
JohnVelazquez
123
9/2

3
Edgewater
Lazy Lane Farms
Rodney Jenkins
A. R. Napravnik
119
3-1

4
Crimson Comic
Premier Stables
Mark Shuman
Jeremy Rose
123
8-1

5
Sir Whimsey
Turtle Bird Stable
Steven Asmussen
Alan Garcia
117
2-1

Phillip Maas’ A She’s Adorable will be seeking her second straight victory against stakes company when she meets nine rivals in the $200,000 Grade III Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (include $50,000 from Breeders’ Cup) at Delaware Park this Saturday. The mile and three-eighths turf test is for fillies and mares.

A She’s Adorable is bringing a record of four wins, four seconds, and a third from ten starts with earnings of $160,600 into race. In her last outing, the 4-year-old daughter of Johar posted a 1 ¼-length score in the mile and a sixteenth on the turf $75,000 John Rooney Memorial at Delaware Park on June 19. Previously, the Kentucky-bred, trained by Michael Stidham, ran second beaten a half length in a one mile turf allowance at Arlington Park. This year, her record is two wins, two seconds, and a third from six starts.

Having a win over the course, a stakes victory, is a plus for A She’s Adorable.

“I think so,” trainer Michael Stidham. “I always think that is an advantage when you run on the surface especially since I think it is her best race to date. She has been doing great. She has been training well and we have had a couple of works since the race.”

Last year, A She’s Adorable started her career by running second in a seven and half furlong $25,000 maiden claiming event. At the time, she did not show that her connections were anything special before her career debut.

“Early on in her training, she just showed us average to moderate ability,” said Stidham. “There really was nothing about her that made us think she was going to be a stakes horse, so at that time we decided to start her off where we thought she would be competitive. She ran a real good race that day and we look at the Ragozin numbers quite a bit for placement of our horses, after we saw the number that she ran first time out, we decided to actually raise her up off of that. She has just been impressive ever since. She is just one of those fillies that no matter where you put her, she really tries hard for you and you cannot ask for more than that.”

$200,000 Grade III Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes

(include $50,000 from Breeders’ Cup)

For fillies and mares 3-year-olds and upward

At one mile and three eighths

PP
HORSE
OWNER
TRAINER
JOCKEY
Wg
OD

1
Rcuandry
Keene Ridge Farm
H. Graham Motion
Jeremy Rose
117
8-1

2
Trensa
Helen Groves
Michael Matz
Jose Valdivia Jr.
117
5-1

3
Proud Lisa
Paul Pompa
Joseph Orseno
Brian J. Hernandez Jr
117
15-1

4
Winter’s Circle
James Slack
Robert Bugge
Alex Cintron
117
20-1

5
Gozzip Girl
Farnsworth Farm
Thomas Albetrani
Elvis Trujillo
117
6-1

6
A She’s Adorable
Phillip S. Mass
Michael Stidham
A.R. Napravnik
119
7/2

7
Katara
Whitewood Stable
Michael Matz
Alan Garcia
117
12-1

8
Treat Gently
Juddmonte Farms
William Mott
John Velazquez
123
5/2

9
Ainamaa
Clark Brewster
Gregory Griffith
Abel Castellano
117
8-1

10
Liberally
Andrew Rosen
Thomas Albetrani
W Antonogeorgi III
117
8-1

Candy DeBartolo’s Life At Ten will be seeking her sixth straight victory when she meets five rivals in the 73rd renewal of the $750,000 Grade II Delaware Handicap this Saturday.

For the third consecutive time, the mile and a quarter classic for fillies and mares has been designated as a “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Challenge race with the winner automatically qualifying for the Ladies’ Classic at Churchill Downs on November 5.

The 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon became a Grade I winner recently with her 2 ¾-length triumph in the mile and a sixteenth $250,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park on June 12. Previously, the Kentucky-bred, trained by Todd Pletcher, won the mile and an eighth $200,000 Grade III Sixty Sails Handicap by a length at Hawthorne Park on April 17. This year, she is three-for-three and last year, she won her final two outings of the season. She sports a career record of six wins, five seconds, and a third from 13 starts with earnings of $459,267.

While Life At Ten has shown to have ability throughout her career, that talent did not blossom until recently.

“I think there are a couple reasons for it,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “She is a filly who has always shown a lot of potential in the morning. Some of her races were a little bit frustrating, but I think in retrospect we probably ran a few too many times on synthetic surfaces, which did not bring out her best. Also a couple of times last year, we ran her a little bit short of her best distances. Once she got into a good stready rythm and since we have been able to keep her at a nice series of longer races, she has really developed into what we were hoping she could be.”

While longer races bring out her best, she has never raced at a mile and a quarter, but Pletcher is encouraged that she will handle the classic distance.

“She has handled a mile and an eighth very well being 2-for-2,” he said. “Based upon her physical appearance and the way she travels, we think a mile and a quarter is within in her scope.”

Typically, Pletcher would prep his charges in the Obeah Stakes, which is the local prep for the Del ‘Cap, but this year he decided to take a different route. Pletcher could not pass up the opportunity to run his mare in the Grade I Ogden Phipps.

“We have had a lot of luck over the years running in the Obeah and then back in the Delaware Handicap,” he said. “In this particular case, this mare never really had the opporunity to run in a Grade I and we just felt like the Phipps was the right spot for her at that time. We did strongly consider running in the Obeah as a prep for this race, but the Grade I was just too enticing. We were fortunate enough to win and we were very happy about that. This year, we have had a bit of luck running horses over a track for the first time, and I do not think having a race over the Delaware surface is as important now as it was a few years back.”

A victory by Life At Ten will also give Pletcher his fourth Delaware Handicap victory, which would equal the record set by the late great Henry Clark who won the Delaware Handicap in 1958 and 1959 with Endine and 1969 and 1970 with Obeah. Pletcher has won the filly and mare classic with Unbridled Belle in 2007, Fleet Indian in 2006, and Irving’s Baby in 2001.

“It has always been a very good race for us and we have been forunate enough to have very good luck in the Delaware Handicap,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “We have run nice mares in this race before and we think we are bringing a good one back this time who obviously is in very good form. So we are really looking forward to this race.”

$750,000 Grade II Delaware Handicap

For fillies and mares 3-year-olds and upwards

at a mile and a quarter

PP
HORSE
OWNER
TRAINER
JOCKEY
Wg
OD

1
Funny Moon
Mrs. Wilson McNeely
Christophe Clement
Alan Garcia
121
7/2

2
Miss Singhsix
Team Valor International
Martin Wolfson
Jose Valdivia, Jr.
118
5-1

3
Milwaukee Appeal
C.E.C. Farms
Scott Farlie
Stewart Elliott
119
2-1

4
Million Seller
Masatake Ikia
H. Graham Motion
Jeremy Rose
114
15-1

5
Miss Match
Lael Stables
Michael Matz
Brian J. Hernandez, Jr.
115
12-1

6
Life At Ten
Candy Debartolo
Todd Pletcher
John Velazquez
122
8/5