Midnight Stroll notched a hard the victory in the $300,000 Grade III Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park. (Photo credit: Delaware Park).
Galsas Stables, R.A. Hill Stable and Steven Schoenfeld’s Midnight Stroll notched a hard the victory in the $300,000 Grade III Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park.
With Eric Cancel aboard, the daughter of Not This Time prevailed by a head after a stretch wide battle with the 5-to-2 favorite Shotgun Hottie with Trevor McCarthy. It was another 4-lengths farther back to Morning Matcha with Carol Cedeno in third. Unadulterated with Feargal Lynch cut early fractions of :46.69 for the half mile and 1:11.13 for the three-quarters mile before fading into sixth. The final time for the mile and a sixteenth over a fast-main track was 1:44.31. Midnight Stroll returned $7.20 as the second-choice in the field of seven.
This was the first graded victory and second stakes victory for the Florida-bred trained by John P. Terranova.
Second-place jockey Trevor McCarthy lodged an objection against the winner for coming over on them in mid-stretch, but the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission stewards found no reason for a disqualification.
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“I knew I did not do anything wrong and I was not worried about it,” said winning rider Eric Cancel. “I did come out to the other horse a little bit, but I was not the one to make contact.”
Cancel was encouraged by the way Midnight Stroll was coming into the race.
Delaware Oaks Replay
“I felt very confident about her chances today because I worked her last time and she worked very well,” he said. “Her best two races had been on the lead and today there was a little bit more speed, but I am glad I was able to breeze her because I got to know her a little better and I had a great trip with her.”
Midnight Stroll raised her career record to three wins from six starts with earnings of $238,225.
Main Event scores front running victory in Kent Stakes
Wilmington, Del., July 2, 2022 — Harrell Ventures’ Main Event took control early before posting a 1 ½-length victory in $200,250 Grade III Kent Stakes at Delaware Park today. The victory gave his jockey Eric Cancel a graded stakes double on day as the native of Carolina, Puerto Rico won the Grade III Delaware Oaks the race before.
Main Event cut early fractions of :47.12 and 1:11.05 before completing the mile and an eighth in 1:48.74 over firm turf course. The Kentucky-bred trained by George Weaver returned $10.60 as the third choice in the field of seven.
The 8-to-5 favorite Elizar with Trevor McCarthy finished second ¾-lengths in front of Tommy Bee with Angel Suarez in third.
Winning jockey Eric Cancel knew it was important to get the jump on the field early.
“I had a dream trip,” said winning rider Eric Cancel. “I wanted to be forwardly placed with this horse because his best races have been on the lead or really close. I knew there was a lot of speed in the race, but I knew my horse was very game so I took it to them early. If they were going to beat me, they would have had to beat me running. Once I started making the turn at the 3/8ths, I felt I still had plenty of horse so I let him go to get him more comfortable. By the quarter-pole he kind of stayed steady like he was waiting for horses so I just tried to give him a very confident ride to the end.”
Midnight Stroll, a 3-year-old son of Bernadini raised his career record to three wins from seven starts with earnings of $246,333.
