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Miss Marissa Much The Best In Delaware Handicap

Miss Marissa upset the favorite Bonny South and added her name to the long list of great fillies and mares to win the historic Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del. Grabbing an early lead, Miss Marissa and jockey Daniel Centeno controlled the pace, maintained a steady one-length lead, and had no trouble holding off Gibberish and Queen Nekia in the stretch to win by a length and a half.

Out of the gate, Gibberish grabbed a short half-length lead over Miss Marissa, but Centeno pushed his gray 4-year-old filly to the front, with Gibberish and Saracosa just behind her. Through the backstretch, Miss Marissa maintained her advantage, with the favorite Bonny South moving up to fourth. With the first quarter in :25.15 and the half-mile in :50.10, Centeno held his mount steady, saving plenty for the stretch run.

Into the final turn, Dream Marie made her move on the outside of Gibberish, but no one could catch the eventual winner today. Despite an open rail for Queen Nekia, Miss Marissa was too good, stretching her lead to a length and a half as they approached the wire. Behind her, Gibberish held off Queen Nekia for second with Dream Marie, Bonny South, and Saracosa rounding out the field. Final Cut was scratched. The final time for the mile and a quarter was 2:04.50.

Find this race's chart here.

Bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Miss Marissa is a daughter of He's Had Enough out of the Arch mare Ardara. She was consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds at the October 2018 Ocala Breeders' Sale for $11,000 with Antonio Sano purchasing the filly. She is owned by Cammarota Racing LLC and trained by James Ryerson. Her win in the Delaware Handicap is her fifth win in 16 lifetime starts for total winnings of $604,690.

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Bolshoi Ballet Brings Home Belmont Derby Win For Galileo

On the day that the world said goodbye to his sire Galileo, Bolshoi Ballet was looking to return to the familiar confines of the winner's circle in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Fresh off a win on Santa Barbara in the Belmont Oaks, Ryan Moore was more than happy to guide Bolshoi Ballet to another Grade 1 victory for the colt's legendary sire.

Breaking from post two, the son of Galileo hung toward the middle of the field of nine, content to sit behind Hard Love on the lead with Sainthood and Safe Combat behind him for the first part of the ten furlongs. Hard Love maintained his lead by a length on the backstretch, with Cellist moving past Sainthood to take over second as they approached the final turn.

On the turn, Cellist took over the lead, with Hard Love just behind him on the hedge as Bolshoi Ballet went wide and then accelerated into the stretch. That turn of foot allowed Bolshoi Ballet to take over the lead within the race's last sixteenth of a mile, with Tokyo Gold surging late to take second and Cellist holding on for third. Du Jour, Sainthood, Palazzi, Hard Love, Safe Conduct, and Hidden Enemy rounded out the field. The final time for the mile and a quarter was 2:04.62.

Find this race's chart here.

Trained by Aidan O'Brien, Bolshoi Ballet follows up his seventh-place finish in the Group 1 Epsom Derby with today's victory in the G1 Belmont Derby, the first leg of the New York Turf Triple, improving his record to four wins in seven lifetime starts for total winnings of $638,434. The 3-year-old colt is by Galileo out of the French mare Alta Anna, by Anabaa. He was bred by Lynch-Bages & Rhinestone Bloodstock and is owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Westerberg.

Ryan Moore saw the slow pace of the Belmont Derby and knew what Bolshoi Ballet needed. “It felt like they were going very slow. This horse, we know he gets the 10 [furlongs] very well. It was a messy race and he won comfortably without being able to show how good he is. We're happy with him. He's the most beautiful horse you'll see. He's a real athlete. He's a class horse.

“With a furlong to run, you could see he was just waiting; having a look and his ears were going. He's still getting used to knowing what he has to do. We think there's more to come. Potentially, I suppose he could be a Breeders' Cup Turf horse.”

T. J. Comerford, assistant to trainer O'Brien, was pleased with the colt's performance on less-than-ideal turf. “The ground was probably a little bit slow for him, because he likes quick ground, but he did well at the finish because he had a good gallop and that helped him. Ideally, he probably wants tougher ground. In fairness to him, his class pulled it out at the end of the day and you have to be happy with it.”

Bolshoi Ballet paid $4.10, $3.20, and $2.80. Tokyo Gold paid $10.60 and $6.20. Cellist paid $7.20 to show.

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Santa Barbara Digs Deep, Surges Late To Win Belmont Oaks

In a race that looked like Con Lima might win wire-to-wire, Santa Barbara capitalized on the potential she showed as a 2-year-old and surged past Con Lima to steal the victory in the waning strides of the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

After finishing second in her last race at the Curragh June 27, Santa Barbara came into the mile and a quarter Belmont Oaks winless in her previous starts of 2021. Aidan O'Brien had been high on the daughter of Camelot (GB) and sent her stateside for the G1 Belmont Oaks, with jockey Ryan Moore on board. At the break, it was all Con Lima, taking an easy lead and controlling the pace throughout the first nine furlongs. Behind her were Spanish Loveaffair, Nazuna, and Higher Truth, all biding their time for the stretch. Santa Barbara hung toward the back of the pack, and, as the field came into the final turn, Santa Barbara had a challenge ahead of her.

With a wall of horses in front of him, Moore tried to take Santa Barbara along the hedge on the turn, coming into the stretch searching for running room somewhere. With Con Lima still leading, Moore moved Santa Barbara toward the middle of the track, finally finding running room between horses with only a sixteenth of a mile to go. Santa Barbara accelerated, quickly shrinking the gap between her and Con Lima and flashing under the wire a half-length to the good. Con Lima just held on for second, with Higher Truth in third and Gam's Mission fourth. The final time for the mile and a quarter was 2:03.76.

Bred in Ireland by Whisperview Trading Limited, Santa Barbara is by Camelot out of the Danehill mare Senta's Dream. The 3-year-old filly is owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Westerberg. With her win in the Belmont Oaks, Santa Barbara improves to a record of two wins in five lifetime starts.

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Dalika Stalks Pace, Holds Off Luck Money To Win At Delaware Park

Trainer Al Stall's Dalika sat close to pacesetter Candy Flower throughout much of the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes, waited for the final turn of the 1 3/8 mile test, and then took over leadership of the field of nine to win the Grade 3 turf stake on the soft turf at Delaware Park in Wilmington, De.

Improving on her last-out second place to Temple City Terror in the Keertana at Churchill Downs, Dalika broke clean from the eighth post, hooking up with Candy Flower early, content to hang just a neck off the front runner. Candy Flower, who was trying stakes company for the first time, set fractions of :24.53 for the first quarter and then :48.61 for the first half, a steady pace that allowed jockey Miguel Mena to stay with her through the first six furlongs. Behind them, Blame Debbie and Temple City Terror were six lengths back, with the rest of the field spread out over the soft turf course.

Into the final turn, Dalika easily moved past a fading Candy Flower, taking a two-length lead over Luck Money surging out in the middle of the track and Blame Debbie on the rail. Into the stretch, Dalika had the lead as Luck Money came up to challenge, but that steady early pace meant that Dalika had enough left in reserve to hold off Luck Money and increase her lead to a length in the race's final strides, with Temple City Terror surging down the middle of the track to take third. La Dragontea, Blame Debbie, Hotsy Totsy, Micheline, Tonal Verse, and Candy Flower round out the field. The final time for the 1 3/8-mile was 2:16.35.

Find the race's chart here.

Dalika paid $10.60, $6.00, and $4.00. Luck Money paid $6.00 and $3.40. Temple City Terror paid $3.60 to show.

Bred in Germany by Gestut Ammerland, Dalika is a 5-year-old mare by Pastorius out of the Hurricane Run mare Drawn to Run. She is owned by Bal Mar Equine, LLC. With her win in the G3 Robert G. Dick Memorial, Dalika improves to a career record of seven wins in 22 starts with $508,463 in winnings.

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