Delaware Oaks: Shotgun Hottie Has Been Very Competitive

Check out our predictions and odds for the 2022 Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park!

A stakes winner in New York earlier this season, Shotgun Hottie tops a field of eight in Saturday’s Grade 3 Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park.

A daughter of the champion Gun Runner, the William Morey-trained filly finished third in the Grade 3 Gazelle most recently.

Following a maiden win at Churchill Downs in her first try around two turns, she has been competitive in four consecutive stakes races, including a game win in Aqueduct’s Ruthless Stakes back in February.

The second choice on the morning line in the $300,000 feature is Sandstone. A daughter of Street Sense, she was a romping winner of the Rags to Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs last October.

The Wayne Catalano-trained filly has been the beaten favorite in three subsequent starts, though. In her most recent run, she finished a well beaten fourth in a listed stakes race at Prairie Meadows.

Among their challengers in the 1 1/16-mile Delaware Oaks is Midnight Stroll from the barn of John P. Terranova II.

A stakes winner at Tampa Bay Downs two starts back, the Not This Time filly had some trouble last time when finishing ninth in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico.

Shotgun Hottie

A seasoned filly against solid competition, this daughter of Gun Runner should have every opportunity to return to her winning ways after facing good fillies in the last two.

Three starts back, she was able to get up late in the Ruthless Stakes going 7 furlongs. I don’t expect the added distance of this will be an issue, and with all the pace in here, she should get a nice race set-up.

Looking back at each of her first four stakes attempts in New Orleans and New York, she looks good enough to get the job done against a Delaware Oaks field that is not particularly strong. She is the top pick. 

Sandstone

The second choice on the morning line has burned a lot of money after romping in two straight last year at Churchill Downs. Three straight defeats came at low odds. When she was running well, she showed plenty of early speed, but has not been close early in recent races.

If she does return to running fast early, it will only add to the overall early pace of this race. Perhaps she can bounce back after two dull efforts to begin the year, but once again I have a hard time supporting her considering her recent form. She will have to beat me here.

Midnight Stroll

This daughter of Not This Time had two nice wins in a row down at Tampa Bay Downs before graduating to graded stakes company last time in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan. Checked early, she had little chance after that against a tough field.

Here she finds a little easier field and with better racing luck, she should be a factor from the outset. Having said that, she is one of several who like to be part of the early pace.

I am willing to give her a pass for the last one, but this one will also be tough with plenty of company early. I expect an improved effort, but I still can’t back her for the top spot.

Morning Matcha

This experienced daughter of Central Banker is the only true late runner in the field. That should be an advantage as she looks for her first success in graded stakes company.

Trained by Butch Reid, Jr. she comes into the Delaware Oaks off a turf sprint. I’m not too worried that she didn’t do a whole lot that afternoon, and it actually should have her fit and ready for this test. Before that she had proven herself as a capable stakes performer.

This looks like the lightest field of her graded attempts and the dynamics of the pace should only help her. I believe she is the top threat to the top pick.

Republique

The real wildcard of this field, this one comes from South Florida with a perfect record in only two career starts. Trained by the always dangerous Saffie Joseph, Jr. she looked good in the wins but both came on Gulfstream’s synthetic track.

The start to her career does make me believe that she could fit in with this level of competition, but it’s hard to know. Given the unknowns of class and surface, plus the fact that she looks like one of many contesting the early pace, I will take a stand against her.

Chardonnay

A consistent speed horse, this one may find herself part of a contested pace as she makes her second career stakes start. The first one came two starts back when she faded out of the picture down the stretch of the Weber City Miss at Laurel.

A nice bounce-back effort last time earned her second career win. It’s possible she proves best of the speed, but her penchant to give it up late makes her a non-play for me in a race with plenty of other speed.

Unadulterated

There might be some good value on this gray daughter of Mohaymen as she makes her stakes debut on Saturday. A winner of two out of three lifetime, she has already run at three different tracks, including a last out win over the Delaware Park main track.

She was beaten by Chardonnay two starts back, but that was only her second career start. I don’t love another speed horse, but perhaps her continued improvement will allow her to stalk and pounce. Familiar and successful over the track, she is in with a shot.

Frippet

This well-bred daughter of Ghostzapper comes in off a maiden breaking performance last time against a four-horse field at Monmouth Park where she was sent off at odds of 1/10. It’s a safe bet that she didn’t beat much there.

Still, she has potential and it was nice to see her win nicely in her fourth career start. She is not out of it and might have a solid future ahead of her, but the serious bump up in class here will likely be a little too much for the Jonathan Thomas-trained filly.

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