(Chart, Equibase)
Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum's L'Oiseau d'Argent won the $100,000 Sussex Handicap in gate-to-wire fashion at Delaware Park Saturday. Ridden by Abel Castellano, Jr., the 6-year-old gelded son of Silver Hawk won by one length and returned $4 as the heavy favorite in the field of four. The Kentucky-bred trained by Kiaran McLaughlin cut early fractions of :47.70 for the half mile and 1:11.09 for the three-quarters mile before finishing the 1 1/6-mile distance over a firm turf course in 1:41.24.Stage Call, with Clinton Potts aboard, finished second and it was another 2 ½-lengths further back to Mr O'Brien, with Mario Pino astride, in third.Sir Oscar finished fourth. Proud Man, Gin and Sin, Tam's Terms, Change Course, Control Tower, Dr. Kashnikow, Royal Regalia, Trapped Again, Immediate Reaction, and Miesque's Approval all scratched.With the Sussex Handicap victory, L'Oiseau d'Argent raised his career record to eight wins from 21 starts with earnings of $296,533."There was not a whole lot of speed in the race and I think that helped me a lot," said he said Castellano, Jr. "My horse was going pretty easy on the lead and we had a perfect trip."