OBEAH S. (gr. III ), Delaware Park , June 15, 2013 , $100,000 Guaranteed , value of race $109,125 , 3 yo's & up , 1 1/8 miles , 1:51.21 Dirt FT .

Minnesota owners Barry and Joni Butzow experienced a career highlight when their 5-year-old mare Bryan’s Jewel notched her second consecutive stakes and first graded score by a neck in the June 15 Obeah Stakes (gr. III) at Delaware Park.

Just one week earlier the daughter of Rockport Harbor had won the John W. Rooney Memorial Stakes at the same track. With four stakes-placings and a stakes win in 2012, she now boasts a career record of 8-5-4 from 23 starts, for earnings of $421,178.

The Obeah Stakes is the local prep race for the July 20 Delaware Handicap (gr. I), but trainer McLean “Mac” Robertson hasn’t decided whether Bryan’s Jewel will enter the race.

“We will see how she comes back,” he said. “She has made nearly $200,000 for the year, and she has a graded stakes win now…she would have to be awful right to run in the race.”

The Butzows were also represented by 2012 Maryland Sprint Handicap (gr. III) victor Hamazing Destiny and have raced a handful of other black-type winners the last eight years.

The couple bought Bryan’s Jewel for $67,000 at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale from James Herbener Jr., agent.

“She was a big, rangy mare that looked like she’d have some speed,” said Robertson, who trains around 20 horses for the Butzows and helped select Bryan’s Jewel. “She was an athletic-looking horse, but also looked like she could get two turns.”

Bred in Kentucky by Peter Van Andel, Bryan’s Jewel is out of the Touch Gold mare Saphiria, who is a half sister to four stakes winners, including 2002 United States champion older male Left Bank (by French Deputy). A three-time grade I winner, Left Bank had career earnings of more than $1.4 million.

Saphiria, who is also from the family of grade I winner Lucifer’s Stone (by Horse Chestnut), brought $650,000 as a 2-year-old and $410,000 while in foal to Thunder Gulch in 2003. She was most recently purchased for $27,000 by Royal Oak Farm, agent, at the 2012 Keeneland January mixed sale. In foal to Colonel John, she was consigned by Herbener, agent.

Born May 13, 2012, the resulting filly was bought for $40,000 by Naveed Chowhan at the 2012 Keeneland November breeding stock sale from Royal Oak Farm, agent.

Rockport Harbor, the sire of 15 stakes winners, stands for $7,500 at William Solomon’s Pin Oak Lane Farm near New Freedom, Pa.—E.M.

JOHN W. ROONEY MEMORIAL S. ( ), Delaware Park , June 08, 2013 , $75,000 Guaranteed , value of race $81,750 , 3 yo's & up , 1 1/16 miles , 1:44.06 Dirt WF .