Everest Stable's Island Fashion easily won the $500,000 Delaware Oaks (gr. III) at Delaware Park Saturday. Ridden by Iggy Puglisi, the 3-year-old daughter of Petionville notched a 6 1/2-length score and returned $20.20 as third choice in the field of eight. The even money favorite, Awesome Humor with Robby Albarado astride, finished second. It was another 4 1/2-lengths farther back to Ladyecho with Oliver Castillo. Island Fashion battled with Wildwood Royal and jockey Danush Sukie through early fractions of :46.73 for the half mile and 1:11.41 for three-quarters mile before completing the mile and a sixteenth in 1:44.95 over a fast main track. The Kentucky-bred trained by Nick Canani increased her career record to two wins from five starts with earnings of $467,900. "Nick told me that in Kentucky that maybe she was not quite 100 percent and she had a non-effort," said winning rider Iggy Puglisi. "(Canani) is mainly over at Santa Anita Racetrack and we shipped her over to Hollywood because that track is a deeper surface and we thought it would be like this surface. She worked unbelievable. I told Nick (Canani) we were going to win. I had a good feeling. Once she relaxed, it was just a matter of when I would call her." Robbie Albarado, astride the favorite, thought his horse his chances were compromised by the break. "I really do not want to say whose fault it is," said Robbie Albarado. "I was waiting for the jockey to get on his horse. I do not know if he knew he was on or not. I guess a couple of other guys were not ready either. My horse was not ready. She was cutting up a little bit and squirming a little bit. If I had known I would have straightened her up." The complexion of the race changed when the unbeaten 3-to-1 morning-line favorite Hennie's Song scratched because of issues related to the treatment of an ulcer in her eye. Alternate Tops Robert G. Dick Memorial
Pin Oak Stable's Alternate notched a 1 1/4-length score in the $150,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial Breeders' Cup at Delaware Park Saturday. Spice Island, with Jorge Chavez aboard, ran second and it was another half-length further back to Lady of the Future, with Jeremy Rose, in third. The 3-to-2 favorite in the field of eleven, San Dare ran sixth.
Alternate, a 4-year-old daughter of Seattle Slew, increased her career record to five wins from 14 starts with earnings of $397,662. The Kentucky-bred trained by H. Graham Motion covered the mile and three-eighths over a firm turf course in 2:15.04. She paid $27.40. Private Lap Takes RRM Carpenter Jr. Memorial
Puglisi Stable's Private Lap won the $100,000 R.R.M. Carpenter Jr. Memorial at Delaware Park today. Ridden by Anthony Black, the 4-year-old son of Private Terms notched a length victory and returned $3.80 as the favorite in the field of seven. Bag of Mischief, with Javier Castellano, ran second and it was another 1 3/4-lengths farther back to Runspastum, with Ramon Dominguez aboard, in third. Private Lap, the Kentucky-bred trained by Steve Klesaris, raised his career mark to eight wins from 21 starts with earnings of $329,000.(Chart, Equibase)