Moist Paint Brushes Up in Delaware Handicap

As renewals of the Delaware Handicap (G2) go, 2023 will lengthy be remembered. Juddmonte’s Idiomatic  gained the historic race in a stretch duel, overcoming stumbling firstly to catch front-running Elegant Version .

That victory was adopted by three consecutive grade 1 victories to shut out the season by the Brad Cox trainee, the final of which got here within the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Santa Anita Park. Months later, she earned an Eclipse Award because the champion older filth feminine of 2023.

The 2024 renewal of the $500,000 Delaware Handicap, contested at 1 3/16 miles July 7, doesn’t seem to have a starter of Idiomatic’s high quality, however Cox is once more taking part by beginning Godolphin’s Moist Paint .

Below Sunday’s handicap circumstances, she carries the highest weight at 123 kilos, recognizing the opposition from 2-9 kilos. Graded winners Honor D Woman  and Morning Matcha  are second and third excessive weights at 121 and 118 kilos, respectively.

Moist Paint, a 4-year-old daughter of Blame  , is winless in 4 begins since profitable the Teaching Membership American Oaks (G1) final summer season at Saratoga Race Course. She travels to Delaware Park from her spring base at Churchill Downs, the place she completed third within the Shawnee Stakes (G3) in her second begin of the yr June 1.

Final yr as a 3-year-old, she gained three different races along with the Teaching Membership American Oaks—rattling them off to start the yr at Oaklawn Park within the Martha Washington Stakes, Honeybee Stakes (G3), and Fantasy Stakes (G3). She streaked into the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs and began because the betting favourite.

Nevertheless, she would run fourth within the Oaks, and the late-running filly would fail to catch Hoosier Philly  and Randomized  in slow-paced stakes later within the yr. Moist Paint has but to win exterior of her age group.

One other 4-year-old, Honor D Woman, gained the Remington Park Oaks (G3) final fall in her high achievement from her 3-year-old yr. Later within the remaining begin of her 3-year-old season, she would end third within the Comely Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

She is confirmed exterior the 3-year-old ranks, taking the Royal Delta Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park in February. Since then, she ran ninth within the April 13 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) in a race by which come-backing Moist Paint was sixth. Honor D Woman was most not too long ago second to the grade 1-winning 3-year-old filly Candied  within the June 8 Woman’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Jose Ortiz rides Honor D Woman for coach Saffie Joseph Jr. and house owners Closing Furlong Farm and Madaket Stables.

LC Racing, Money is King, and Gary Barber’s Morning Matcha ran third within the Delaware Handicap final yr. She heads into Sunday’s race off a troubled seventh-place end within the June 15 Mattress o’ Roses Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct.

“I actually didn’t suppose she had a good shot in her final race,” mentioned coach Robert “Butch” Reid. “She was blocked virtually the entire journey, however she got here out of the race nice and she or he had a ravishing breeze Saturday morning, so we’re able to go.”