Ebony Breeze Towers Over Endine Hopefuls

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(from Delaware Park report)
Kinsman Stable's Ebony Breeze heads a field of nine in the $200,000 Endine Handicap (gr. III) at Delaware Park Saturday, a six-furlong affair for fillies and mares.

Ebony Breeze won the Endine last year by three lengths as the 4-to-5 favorite. In her last race, the Kentucky-bred trained by Bill Mott ran second by two lengths in the six-furlong Honorable Miss Handicap (gr. II) at Saratoga on Aug. 30. Previously, the 5-year-old daughter of Belong to Me   won the $100,000 My Juliet at six panels at Philadelphia Park on June 25.

She sports a career record of nine wins, eight seconds, and five thirds from 28 starts with earnings of $814,067.

Lois Nervitt's Sensibly Chic will be seeking the upset. After finishing first or second in seven consecutive races, the New York-bred trained by Timothy Tullock, Jr., inexplicably ran sixth, beaten 10 ¼-lengths in her last outing, the six-furlong Princess Rooney Handicap (gr. II) at Calder on July 10.

Trainer Timothy Tullock, Jr., thinks the 5-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor   was just due to have a below average effort.

"It could have been the course," Tullock said. "She has always been a good shipper, so I do not think it was that. It could have just been simply she was due to throw in a bad one and she did. It had been a long time since she run a bad one. So it was probably a combination of that and maybe the course because some horses just do not take to that course."

Previously, Sensibly Chic won Belmont Park's Vagrancy Handicap (gr. II) at 6 1/2 furlongs by 3 ¾-lengths on June 12. On May 14, she ran second, beaten a nose, in the six furlong Genuine Risk Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park.

She has been training forwardly for her return. She breezed five furlongs in 1:02 on Sept. 3 and drilled four furlongs in :48 handily on Aug. 24. Both workouts were at Laurel Park.

Tullock thinks she is ready for a return to her typically consistent efforts.

"She has been training well," he said. "I wish the race was a week later, but she should be close enough to run her race."

$200,000 Endine Handicap (gr. Gr. III), fillies & mares 3 & up, 6 furlongs
PP, HORSE/OWNER/TRAINER/JOCKEY/ WGT./ML ODDS
1. a-Clay's Rocket/Michael Gill/Mark Shuman/Aaron Gryder/114/ 4-1
2. Schedule/Jayeff B Stables/Alan Goldberg/Mario Pino/113/12-1
3. Sensibly Chic/Lois Nervitt/Timothy Tullock Jr./Abel Castellano/117/ 5-2
4. Prospective Saint/Charles Miller/Martin Wolfson/Roberto Alvarado Jr./115/8-1
5. Storm Minstrel/Edward Evans/Mark Hennig/OPEN/115/8-1
6. b-A Vision in Gray/L Barberino & T Ritchey/Timothy Ritchey/Jeremy Rose/114/10-1
7. a-Umpateedle/Michael Gill/Mark Shuman/Aaron Gryder/116/4-1
8. Ebony Breeze/Kinsman Stable/William Mott/Herberto Castillo Jr./ 118/9-5
9. b-That's Our Song/McCarthy & Sinapius/Timothy Ritchey/Jeremy Rose/113/10-1

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