Jockey Joe Bravo Archives - Cory Moran

St Anthony notches another Monmouth win in Oceanport Stakes

admin — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 08:42:27 +0000

You were wondering why Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale sent St Anthony all the way from California to Monmouth Park for Friday’s Oceanport Stakes, the gelding’s first start since November?

St Anthony provided an answer, a dominant 1 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Oceanport, which failed to fill when originally scheduled last weekend before being brought back for Friday’s program.

“I want to thank Neil,” said winning rider Joe Bravo, “but I have a question. ‘Neil, how did you find out this horse loves Monmouth Park so much?’”

Love it, he does. St Anthony came to Monmouth for the first time last summer and knocked out an allowance race win before landing the Red Bank Stakes by more than two lengths. He ran below form in his season’s finale but was expertly prepared for his first start following a layoff of more than eight months, Drysdale sending St Anthony East in time for the horse to get in a work at Monmouth.

St Anthony won the Oceanport by 1 1/2 lengths over game pacesetter There Are No Words. The margin could have been considerably wider. Snugged just behind the leader while saving ground throughout the 1 1/16-mile grass race, St Anthony came loaded into the homestretch, but when Bravo attempted an inside run to the lead, There Are No Words drifted to his left, cutting off the opening and forcing Bravo to steady. Bravo either considered or feinted a run between horses, then steered back to the rail and this time got through, St Anthony rapidly opening daylight.

“He exploded,” Bravo said. “That’s why I love riding races, horses like this.”

There Are No Words set sail for the lead from post 1 and laid down demanding splits, 22.89 and 46.62, holding on stubbornly to save second by a nose over fellow New Jersey-bred He’spuregold. Big Everest finished fourth, followed by 3-2 favorite Kubrick, with 2023 Oceanport winner Highest Distinction last of seven. St Anthony was timed in 1:41.28 over a firm course and paid a generous $21.20.

St Anthony now has six wins from 19 starts, half those triumphs at Monmouth. A homebred 5-year-old, St Anthony campaigns for Alice Bamford. The gelding is by Noble Mission out of Amnesia, by Invincible Spirit – and at Monmouth, St Anthony has indeed been invincible.

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Five Star General wears down Clovisconnection for Longacres Mile repeat win

admin — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 08:35:26 +0000

Five Star General and Clovisconnection put on an exciting stretch battle in Sunday’s $150,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs. Defending champion Five Star General got the best of Clovisconnection, closing in the final strides to win by a head.

The pair were sent away quickly from the gate by their respective riders, with Clovisconnection drifting a bit from his inside post, starting a chain reaction of bumping involving many of the runners lined up near the lead.

Jockey Joe Bravo, aboard the eventual winner, may have saved the day by gunning Five Star General from post 8 at the sound of the bell. As a result, Five Star General was just enough ahead of those who’d surrounded him in the gate to avoid the brunt of the accordion-like reaction set off by Clovisconnection.

Clovisconnection, with William Antongeorgi III aboard, initially gained a clear advantage before stalkers approached by the five-furlong marker. He then opened up again and led comfortably by three lengths at the quarter pole. Soon after they straightened for home, Five Star General sprang into top gear and got up in the final steps to net the $82,500 payday for owner Ken Alhadeff in the race which his grandfather created 89 years earlier. In the post-race ceremony, Alhadeff was rather effusive, perhaps inspiring local onlookers to think back to long-ago renewals of the Longacres Mile which shaped their love for all things horse racing.

Clovisconnection finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of fast-closing Slew’s Tiz Whiz.

Five Star General covered the mile over a fast track in 1:34.98 and returned $4.22 as the popular public choice. The 2024 Longacres Mile was the fifth consecutive renewal of the race in which Five Star General was a participant. He had four different trainers during that stretch with Grant Forster having been the only one to saddle Five Star General twice in the race. The win on Sunday was Forster’s third in the Mile, some 19 years after he won with No Giveaway.

A Kentucky-bred 8-year-old by Distorted Humor, Five Star General has amassed winnings of $902,202 from 13 wins in 39 starts. After the race, Alhadeff hinted that Five Star General would most likely be retired.

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Florida-bred Belle’s Blue Bell Scoops Up Victory in Maryfield

admin — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 11:06:38 +0000

Jacks or Better Farm Inc., homebred Belle’s Blue Bell came from last in a compact race to fight with Daughter of Time at the top of the stretch then pulled away late to win the $100,000 Maryfield at Monmouth Park Saturday. With Joe Bravo aboard, Florida-bred Belle’s Blue Belle finished six furlongs in 1:10.09 to defeat five other 3-year-old fillies on the fast track.

Daughter to Time had a short advantage down the backstretch with Caress and Girvin’s Princess close by in second and third while Belle’s Blue Bell was last but only two lengths off the lead.
Belle’s Blue Bell tried to pounce on the leaders leaving the backstretch after a quarter mile in :22.09 but lacked room until they began to make their way around the far turn. Bravo took Belle’s Blue
Bell off the rail and into the three path and she drew even with Daughter of Time and Youalmosthadme with a quarter mile to the finish.

Belle’s Blue Bell and Daughter of Time were head and head until the final furlong when the former pulled away to finish a length-and-three-quarters in front under the wire. Youalmosthadme was
second, a half-length faster than Daughter of Time in third. Girvin’s Princess, Outspoken and Caress completed the order of finish. Calle Amada was scratched.

Trained by Carlos David, Belle’s Blue Bell paid $10.60 to win.

Belle’s Blue Belle has now won two of her last three starts, including a first condition, $50,000 optional claiming on synthetic at Gulfstream Park on March 13 and a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming going six furlongs at Gulfstream on April 14. In her previous start, she was sixth in the six-furlong Miss Preakness (Grade 3) won by Mystic Lake with Youalmosthadme second at Pimlico on May 17.

Belle’s Blue Belle is by Girvin out of multiple stakes-winning Florida-bred mare Awesome Belle, by Awesome of Course. Belle’s Blue Belle is the first stakes winner for Awesome Belle, who has two
winners from four starters. Awesome Belle has an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Greenpointcrusader and an unnamed yearling colt by Ocala Stud’s popular first crop sire Win Win Win.

Belle’s Blue Bell has now won four with two seconds in 10 starts with
earnings of $188,660.

Return to the June 29 issue of Wire to Wire

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Grade 1 Winner Candied Takes Lady’s Secret

admin — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 10:54:08 +0000

Grade 1 Winner Candied Takes Lady’s Secret Candy Ride filly could next point to Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga.

Candied wins the Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park Considerable class relief, a short field and a target to run at. It all added up to a 4 1/2-length victory for grade 1 winner Candied June 8 in the $100,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Joe Bravo, Candied shook off a pesky Saddle Up Jessie in the final furlong and drew off the way an odds-on favorite coming out of three straight grade 1 races should. The winning time for the mile and a sixteenth was 1:45.46.

After breaking alertly and briefly on the lead at the outset, Bravo settled the Kentucky-bred 3-year-old daughter of Candy Ride into last in a field shortened to four horses following three scratches. Down the backside Bravo edged Candied off the rail for clear run, giving her the cue to go entering the final turn. She still had Saddle Up Jessie to deal with then, but Candied and Bravo had the moment. Multiple grade 3 winner Honor D Lady rallied for second, a half-length ahead of Saddle Up Jessie. Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Candied posted her third win in five career starts, with Pletcher saying this week he would point her to the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga on July 20.

“When you ride for Todd Pletcher you know they’re ready when they come here and that they have class,” said Bravo. “Todd called me this morning and said `don’t play with her. If she fights you let her go.’ She showed us she was the best horse today. Let’s see what the future brings for her.” Facing older horses for the first time proved to be no problem for Candied, who won the grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland last year and then was third in the Breeders’ Cup Fillies. “I mean even if they all didn’t scratch I still think it would be a good spot that Todd picked out,” said Anthony Sciametta, who handles the Pletcher division at Monmouth Park.

“Yes, it was a really good spot. That’s probably why he supplemented into it late. “She’s a good filly, really good filly.”
Candied paid $3.40 to win as the odds-on favorite. “Really excited to sit on the filly,” said Bravo. “She has run against some of the best fillies in the country. “I’m going to tell you the truth, I thought I would be further back. If you had to ride the race on paper she’s going to sit back, way back and make a big run. She broke in front, that’s why it’s horse racing. You just have to let the horse kind of dictate and stay out of their way.” Candied was making her first start since finishing fourth in the grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on April 5 and her second start of the
year.

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Monmouth Park 2024: The return of ‘Jersey Joe’ Bravo, plus opening day info

admin — Thu, 16 May 2024 15:44:09 +0000

OCEANPORT – The words were pointed, as jockey Joe Bravo emerged as an outspoken critic in 2021 when the New Jersey Racing Commission imposed the toughest restrictions on whip use in the country.

Caught in the middle was Monmouth Park, where he won 13 riding titles and was suddenly part of a boycott by some top riders, with the fracture between “Jersey Joe” and the Jersey Shore racetrack he became synonymous with remaining even after national standards on whip use went into effect.

The 52-year-old Bravo relocated to the Southern California circuit for three years. But he spent the winter in Florida at Gulfstream Park, setting the stage for his return to Monmouth Park full-time this summer, beginning with Saturday’s opening day card, when a crowd of 7.686 came out for the 10-race card.

“I never really had a problem with Monmouth Park during the whole conflict, it was more the New Jersey Racing Commission,” Bravo said. “I don’t know how they feel about me here but I’m glad to be home.”

And next week he’ll ride longshot Mugatu in the Preakness for trainer Jeff Engler, looking for his first win in a Triple Crown race in a career that’s spanned 36 years, with his mounts winning 5,659 times and earning over $200 million on the track.

“I rode him at Gulfstream when he broke his maiden down there and you could see a lot of potential. You could see he was just a baby trying to grow up and getting better and better,” said Bravo, with Mugatu running fifth in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes last time out.

Stakes specialist

In his past life as a local, Bravo was the go-to guy on some really good horses, winning 58 graded stakes between 2015-18, including 14 Grade 1 races, and won his first Breeders’ Cup race in 2019. He won the Grade 1 United Nations and Grade 3 Molly Pitcher on Haskell Day 2020.

Now Bravo parachutes back into a room deep with talent, including 10-time riding champion Paco Lopez, who battled Irad and Jose Ortiz at the top of the Gulfstream jockey standings over the winter. Bravo rode 15 races at Monmouth Park in 2022 between the Santa Anita and Del Mar meets, but that’s it since 2020.

Jairo Rendon, who finished third in the rider’s standings last summer, won the opening race of the meet, guiding Little Ni to an allowance victory for trainer Eddie Owens Jr.

“That was then, and now we have to collect horses, and it’s going to be challenging because there are a lot of riders,” said Cory Moran, the agent for both Bravo and Lopez.

“Joe is more selective these days. He likes to ride for the big outfits, the allowance and stakes races and has done well.”

Building business

Bravo has two mounts on Saturday, and is aboard the Michael Pino-trained colt Evening News in the $100,000 Long Branch Stakes, his first race at Monmouth Park since Fourth of July 2022.

“This is a last-minute thing,” said Bravo. “Remember that you still have Oaklawn finishing up and Tampa horses that still haven’t been on the grounds yet. I think you are going to see the entries get stronger as the summer goes along.

“I was in California and it came down to did I want to spend another winter racing in California. It’s lovely racing, but four days a week there’s really no other racetracks to go to and so the racing is limited. So I took the opportunity to call my old agent (Cory Moran) and I went to Gulfstream this year. And when it comes to summertime, where do you go? Monmouth Park. It’s pretty cool.”

As for his chances in the Preakness, Bravo points to Mugatu’s last race in the Blue Grass, finishing fifth behind Sierra Leone, who lost the Kentucky Derby by a nose to Mystik Dan, with Joe Talamo in the saddle.

“I fell in love with him,” Bravo said. “Just look at Blue Grass. A couple things could have gone differently for him, and he was only beaten 7 ½ lengths. That puts us in the game, and if some things work out who knows. You have to be in it to win it.”

Sea Streak wins $100,000 Long Branch Stakes

As trainer Eddie Owens Jr. was being congratulated trackside in the immediate aftermath of Sea Streak’s impressive victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Long Branch Stakes, he declared to no one in particular, “don’t let the N.J. fool you.”

And while becoming the second Jersey-bred ever to win the Haskell Stakes – Thanks to Tony won it in 1981 – is still a long way off, the Holly Crest Farm homebred does get free admission to the $1 million Grade 1 fixture with the victory.

Owens indicated Sea Streak, who came in off a second in a Gulfstream Park allowance race on March 29, would be pointed towards the $150,000 NYRA Bets Pegasus Stakes on Haskell Preview Day on June 15.

Ridden by Jairo Rendon, Sea Streak stalked the pace through a half-mile and then took charge, pulling away to beat favorite Heartened by 7 ½ lengths in the mile and 70-yard test.

Sea Streak had been on the Triple Crown trail until a seventh-place finish in the grade 3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream.

“I got too big with him early and he was green, running green. Today he put it all together,” Owens said. “He’s for real – It was a perfect trip. We had a little speed on the outside of us.

“After that allowance race I talked to Jose Ortiz and he said to run him two turns.”

IF YOU GO …

Where: 175 Oceanport Ave., Oceanport N.J.

When: 12:50 p.m. post time for the first race, with 10 races in all.

Parking: Free

Admission: $6 grandstand and clubhouse

The meet: Monmouth Park will race 51 days through Sept. 15, running Saturdays, Sundays and Memorial Day in May, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in June, July and August, and two days a week, plus Labor Day, in September.

Festival Calendar

May 25-27 – Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival

June 9 – NJ Irish Festival

June 29-20 – Win & Wine Weekend

June 7 – Classic Car & Oldies Day

July 20: Haskell Day

July 27-28 – Italian Festival & Wine Tasting

Aug. 4 Latin Festival: Tacos & Tequila

Aug. 10: Bags, Banks & Beer: Cornhole Tournament

Aug. 17-18: Surf & Turf Seafood Festival

Aug. 31-Sept. 2 – BBQ & Craft Beer Festival

Sept. 7 – Food Trucktemberfest

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Shaq Diesel noses Dean Delivers in Marion County Florida Sire Stakes

admin — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:52:22 +0000

Shaq Diesel rallied past favored Dean Delivers in a late dramatic finish for a nose victory in the $100,000 FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

The Marion County and the $100,000 FTBOA City of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes for fillies and mares were co-featured on the card. Both races, for 3-year-olds and up, were for Florida-breds sired by Florida stallions.

Dean Delivers stepped outside of Florida-bred company this year to win the Grade 3 Carry Back and to finish a solid third behind champion Elite Power in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga. That solid campaign made him the favorite for the Marion County, in which he dueled for the lead in the early stages, emerged with the advantage through a sharp opening half in 43.79 seconds on the fast track, and took a length advantage into the stretch.

Shaq Diesel, with Joe Bravo in the irons for David Fawkes, was outsprinted early, and was still fifth in the field of seven in upper stretch, with more than two lengths to make up. He found his best foot late and collared the favorite in the shadow of the wire, with Big Martini another 1 3/4 lengths back in third.

The time for the seven furlongs was 1:22.24.

This was the first stakes victory for Shaq Diesel ($11.20), a 3-year-old son of Florida leading sire Khozan. He was bred by Bishop Racing, and now runs for the owner partnership of Chester Bishop, Anthony Hinkson, Alvin Rampaul, Patrick Biggs, and Donovan Stanford.

Shaq Diesel was third in the Pasco Stakes at Tampa earlier this year before finishing off the board and well-beaten in two graded Kentucky Derby points races. He later returned to allowance-level company, and the Marion County marked his second start off a layoff. He was second at long odds to favored Classic Car Wash in an allowance-optional claiming race in October at Gulfstream, teeing him up for Saturday’s effort.

One race later, favored Bluefield ($5.80) wore down a stout Dream Concert to win the City of Ocala. Dream Concert had attended to the pace, inherited the lead, and opened a 1 1/2-length lead in the stretch. But Bluefield, who saved ground with Samy Camacho in the irons for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., tipped out to take aim, and gradually ate into the leader’s margin to get up by a neck at the wire.

The time for the seven furlongs was 1:22.47.

Bluefield, by the late Field Commission, was co-bred by Edward Seltzer and races in his colors. The 7-year-old mare has had a productive season, finishing second in the Saylorville Stakes in July at Prairie Meadows before a decent fourth in the Grade 3 Princess Rooney in October. The winner, Three Witches, went on to hit the board in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

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Princess Grace returns from eight-month layoff to win the Grade 3 Penny Memorial

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 13:08:46 +0000

Princess Grace got her 4-year-old season off to a rousing start Tuesday when she battled Madita for a neck win in the Grade 3, $200,000 Dr. James Penny Memorial at Parx Racing. It was another two lengths back in third to Platinum Paynter.

The Penny Memorial was a mile and a sixteenth turf race for fillies and mares. There were four scratches: Honey Cake, Quiet Company, Secret Time, and Sunset Kisses.

Princess Grace ($4) was making her first start since last November, when she won the off-the-turf Mrs. Revere, a Grade 2 at Churchill Downs. She was content to settle in fourth on Tuesday, as Glamorous Thunder jumped out to a clear lead and took the field through fractions of 23.22 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.67 for the half-mile, and 1:11.63 for six furlongs.

Click here to read from DRF

Princess Grace rode the rail, was angled just off the fence into the stretch, and after coming between rivals pushed past a stubborn Madita in a lively battle. The winner covered the distance on firm ground in a strong 1:41.18.

Joe Bravo was aboard Princess Grace for trainer Michael Stidham.

M and M Stable owns Princess Grace, who was winning the second stakes of her career. She is now 4 for 5 in her career and 3 for 4 on the grass. Princess Grace picked up $115,200 for the win Tuesday to improve her career earnings to $320,460. She is a daughter of Karakontie.

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Yes This Time Sneaks Up On Like The King To Take Kent Stakes

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 13:05:55 +0000

Riding the rail under Joe Bravo, Yes This Time went from last on the final turn to first in the final furlong of the 1 1/8-mile Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del. The soft turf and a stubborn front running Like the King were no trouble for the son of Not This Time, who earns his fifth win of six starts in 2021.

After an even start, Like the King took an easy length-and-a-half lead over Be Here and Eamonn, with Wootton Asset in fourth. The pace was slow, Like the King cruising through fractions of :25.63 for the first quarter and :51.21 for the first half. He maintained that easy lead, controlling the pace through the first mile. Into the stretch, Like the King held on to the lead, unwilling to give it up as Bravo and Yes This Time snuck up on the rail to challenge. Like the King tried to hold on, but Yest This Time was able to pass him in the final strides to win by a length in a slow 1:52.39 on soft turf.

Click here to read from Paulick Report

Wootton Asset, Doubleoseven, Eamonn, and Be Here rounded out the field of six in the G3 Kent Stakes.

“I was concerned about the pace,” said winning trainer Kelly Breen. “Honestly, the leader (Like the King) got out there and went a half in :51 and three-quarters in 1:16 and two races before, they did not go that slow. I was concerned about being towards the back early, but the rail opened up and he came running. We are schooling him for the Kentucky Downs race (Dueling Grounds Derby – Sept 5) by getting him used to going up and down the hills and being able to rate. He is a pretty neat horse with a lot of guts. He is a nice horse to train and he is pretty cool. Other than his first race, everything has been basically win pictures. He is a pretty nice horse.”

Yes This Time paid $4.20, $2.60, and $2.10. Like the King paid $3.80 and $2.60. Third-place Wootton Asset paid $3.40 to show.

Yes This Time is a 3-year-old colt from the first crop of Taylor Made stallion Not This Time. Bred by Barry Golden, he is out of the Smart Strike mare Smart Jilly. He is owned by Edge Racing and trained by Kelly Breen. His win in the Kent Stakes marks his sixth win in eight lifetime starts for earnings of $201,825.

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JOE BRAVO TABBED JOCKEY OF THE WEEK

admin — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 14:10:07 +0000

Joe Bravo made the most of his travels last week. With mounts at Delaware Park, Belmont and Pimlico, he won two stakes races to earn Jockey of the Week for June 7 through June 13.

The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys’ Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

On Wednesday, Bravo journeyed to Delaware Park for the Obeah Stakes reuniting with the 4-year-old Dream Marie trained by Matthew Williams. Taken back early in the field of seven fillies and mares three years-old and up, Bravo eased Dream Marie outside and advanced five wide at the half mile marker kicking clear in the final sixteenth to win by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:44.40 over a sloppy track, returning $19.40.

Click here to read from The Racing Biz

“She really likes this course,” said Bravo. “The last time she was on this course she was a very game second a heart-beat from winning. Today, as I was expecting, when she turned for home, she really kicked off nicely.”

After riding at Belmont Park Thursday and Saturday, Bravo travelled to Pimlico Race Course on Sunday for the call on Pixelate in the Prince George’s County for three-year-olds and up going 1-1/8 miles for trainer Michael Stidham. In a field of 11, Bravo rated Pixelate in fifth along the rail outside Alwaysmining. Entering the stretch, Pixelate drove past a tiring Alwaysmining and Logical Myth to win by a length in 1:53.56.

“He was really strong on the first turn,” Bravo said. When we got down the backside he started breathing underneath me and I knew he was comfortable. Turning for home I had to get him outside. Stidham did all the hard work and got him really ready. I want to say thanks to Godolphin.”

When asked if he was told anything before riding Pixelate for the first time, Bravo replied, “Don’t get beat, jock.”

Bravo will be heading west to ride at Santa Anita closing weekend and intends to ride at Del Mar when their meet starts July 16.

Weekly statistics for Bravo were 6-3-1-0 and total purse earnings of $179,880.

For Jockey of the Week, Bravo out polled Stewart Elliott with two stakes wins at Lone Star, Kyle Frey who tied with Charle Oliveros for number of wins for the week with nine, and Jose Ortiz who one a stakes race and was leading jockey by total purse earnings.

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Dream Marie rallies from far back in the slop to win Obeah under Bravo

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 14:31:36 +0000

Dream Marie gave trainer Matthew Williams his first career stakes victory when the 4-year-old daughter of Graydar rallied from last to win Wednesday’s $100,000 Obeah at 1 1/16 miles over a sloppy and sealed Delaware Park main track.

Owned by the Williams family’s Miracle’s International Training, Dream Marie was dismissed as the 8-1 fifth choice in the field of seven fillies and mares. She paid $19.40 to win.

There was a fast pace on display in the Obeah as rank outsider Shyza set fractions of 23.07 and 47.20 while pressured by race favorite Bajan Girl and Miss Marissa. Shyza backed out first and Miss Marissa traveled better than Bajan Girl as the field turned for home.

Click here to read from DRF

Meanwhile jockey Joe Bravo had Dream Marie outside, and on the move to loom a stalking presence on the second turn. They drove past Miss Marissa and Bajan Girl in midstretch and completed the distance in 1:44.40 seconds while 1 3/4 lengths better than Miss Marissa.

Market Rumor, handled patiently near the rear of the field, rallied widest for third, two lengths behind the runner-up. Bajan Girl, Graceful Princess, Artful Splatter, and Shyza rounded out the order of finish. Crystal Ball, Promised Storm, Jilted Bride, Trolley Ride, Sweet Sami D, Queen Nekia, and Lucky Stride all scratched.

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The Obeah was Dream Marie’s second trip to Delaware Park. Based at Gulfstream Park, she finished second in last summer’s Grade 3 Delaware Oaks behind Project Whiskey. She also placed in two other graded races in 2020, including the Grade 2 Davona Dale.

Graceful Princess, a daughter of Tapit and Horse of the Year Havre de Grace, saved ground behind the leaders and didn’t appear to handle the wet track.

The first four finishers in the Obeah automatically earned a free nomination to the meet’s signature race, the Grade 2, $400,000 Delaware Handicap on July 10.

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