Delaunay, winner of 18 races and more than $1.1 million in purse money through 52 outings, is the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the $125,000 Iowa Sprint Handicap and the most accomplished runner entered in the Friday, June 26, race on the first night of the 2015 Iowa Festival of Racing at Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino.
Delaunay, an 8-year-old Smoke Glacken gelding, is owned by Maggi Moss, an 11-time leading owner at Prairie Meadows. Moss acquired Delaunay in May of 2012 via the claim box when trainer Tom Amoss haltered him for $40,000 out of a winning Churchill Downs effort from owner PTK, LLC and trainer Dane Kobiskie.
Since changing barns three years ago, Delaunay has gone on to win 11 stakes races. He remains winless, however, in three tries at Prairie Meadows, including second-place finishes in the Iowa Sprint Handicap in 2013 and 2014.
Delaunay was second by a neck to Iowa Sprint rival Bobcat Jim last time out in the May 23 Ed Skinner Memorial Stakes. He will face just five rivals in this year's edition of the Iowa Sprint Handicap, carded as the 6th race on the nine-race Friday night program.
In the 1 1/16-mile Iowa Distaff, 2013 winner Flashy American—with eight wins and earnings of $692,183—runs against 6 other fillies and mares including 2015 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) runner-up Diva's Diamond.
Also on the card, 2014 Fantasy Stakes winner Sugar Shock will take on nine rivals in the $100,000 Saylorville at six furlongs as she chases her sixth lifetime victory and second tally at Prairie Meadows for local owner Aaron Kennedy's On Cloud Nine, LLC.
Prairie Meadows, Friday, June 26, 2015, Race 6Entries: Iowa Sprint H.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Bobcat Jim (KY) Shane Laviolette 120 Kenny P. Smith - 2 2Bruvver Max (KY) Terry J. Thompson 115 Timothy E. Martin - 3 3Patty's Key (IA) Glenn W. Corbett 113 Thad W. Keller - 4 4Den's Legacy (FL) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 114 Ron Moquett - 5 5Z Rockstar (OK) Luis S. Quinonez 115 Donnie K. Von Hemel - 6 6Delaunay (MD) Ramon A. Vazquez 120 Thomas M. Amoss -
Prairie Meadows, Friday, June 26, 2015, Race 5Entries: Iowa Distaff S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Annuity (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 120 Ron Moquett - 2 2Ambusher (KY) Chris Landeros 116 Ian R. Wilkes - 3 3Pretty Fancy (KY) Luis S. Quinonez 120 George R. Arnold, II - 4 4Flashy American (KY) Shane Laviolette 116 Kenneth G. McPeek - 5 5Ketel Twist (KY) Alex Birzer 118 Michael J. Maker - 6 6More Than Even (OK) M. Clifton Berry 120 Roger F. Engel - 7 7Diva's Diamond (IL) Ramon A. Vazquez 120 Karl Broberg -
Prairie Meadows, Friday, June 26, 2015, Race 7Entries: Saylorville S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Heykittykittykitty (OK) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 123 Ron Moquett - 2 2Electric Temptress (KY) Ramon A. Vazquez 123 Chris Richard - 3 3Sugar Shock (KY) Alex Birzer 123 Doug L. Anderson - 4 4Yucca (KY) Glenn W. Corbett 120 Kenny P. Smith - 5 5You Bought Her (FL) Julio E. Felix 120 David H. Hinsley - 6 6Bird Maker (KY) Chris Landeros 120 Ian R. Wilkes - 7 7Ghost Locket (KY) Shane Laviolette 123 Don Von Hemel - 8 8Hollywood Knockout (KY) Ken S. Tohill 114 Federico Villafranco - 9 9Haveyougoneaway (NY) Jareth Loveberry 120 Allen Milligan - 10 10Dancin' Lil (KY) Luis S. Quinonez 114 Michael J. Maker -
