The Lead:
Delaware’s premier race finds itself at a new distance for the 2023 edition – 1 3/16 miles – and attracted a field of six up-and-coming fillies and mares. Recent history finds this race steeped in tradition, as past winners include Hall of Famers Royal Delta and Songbird, alongside Blind Luck, Elate, Life at Ten, I’m a Chatterbox and Hystericalady.

The $500,000 Delaware Handicap is Race 9 at Delaware Park on Saturday, July 8, slated for 4:46PM ET. The card also includes the $150,000 Battery Park, featuring graded stakes winners Fearless, Doppelganger, Warrant and Ridin With Biden, and the $100,000 Dashing Beauty for fillies and mares.

Field Depth:
#3 IDIOMATIC is the class of the bunch off a Grade 3 victory at Churchill Downs, but four of the six entrants have won a stakes race in the last 12 months. New York-bred #5 CLASSY EDITION is in for Todd Pletcher, himself a 4-time winner of this race, most recently in 2010 with Life at Ten. Five of the six entrants are less than 8/1 on the morning line, indicating solid options for bettors hoping to beat the chalk.

Pace:
Most of this field brings a forward running style to the table, with CLASSY EDITION and IDIOMATIC expected to dictate the early pace. IDIOMATIC appears to be the quickest from the gate, and CLASSY EDITION’S outside draw, along with the presence of renowned gate rider Kendrick Carmouche should ensure an honest pace.

Our Eyes:
Here are my horse-by-horse notes.

#1 ROYAL TAKE CHARGE (8/1) – Stall/Gutierrez – Takes a huge step in class in just her fifth career start and has been navigating through her conditions in Kentucky and Louisiana. She’s 1/2-length from an undefeated record and is the ‘stranger danger’ look in the field. The distance is a huge draw for her, having proven effective at 1 1/8-miles, but this is a big class test and her best speed figures don’t match up yet.

#2 BATTLE BLING (6/1) – Atras/Cruz – Unraced since February, she finished 2nd in the race last year, beaten 12-lengths, after an unexpected tardy beginning. Trainer Rob Atras strikes at a strong 22% clip off the layoff, but horses coming off that long of a layoff in a field this solid are generally not horses that make my ticket. If she wins, it’s to spite me.

#3 IDIOMATIC (7/5) – Cox/Geroux – Morning line favorite is 5-for-8 in her career and ran the best race of her life last out in the Grade 3 Shawnee at Churchill Downs, registering a 102 Beyer Speed Figure, which is tops in this group. She navigated a similar distance – 1 1/4 miles – in an allowance win at Turfway in January and is the likeliest winner. It just depends on the trip they work out with the target on their back and other quality speeds signed on.

#4 GAMESTONKS (12/1) – Sanchez-Solomon/Gomez – Was 42/1 when she popped from the gate and dropped anchor in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps last out on Belmont Day, ultimately beaten 39-lengths. It’s hard to envision a scenario where she finds herself in contention late here as this field is simply too strong.

#5 CLASSY EDITION (7/2) – Pletcher/Carmouche – Got in a confidence boost at 70-cents on the dollar last out in the $200,000 Critical Eye for NY-breds at Belmont on May 29. Her 6-for-9 career record features a Grade 3 win at Gulfstream in February, and positive performances in the G2 Davona Dale and Grade 3 Gazelle. Distance becomes a bit of a concern here as she has been beyond 1 1/16 miles just once and is jus t1-for-3 in two-turn races. Figures to take money due to the Pletcher angle but a filly I expect to try to beat on top.

#6 MORNING MATCHA (5/2) – Reid/Lopez – Beaten just a nose in the local prep for this, the $160,000 Obeah, and third place finisher in last summer’s Grade 3 Delaware Oaks, this daughter of Central Banker peaked last September in the Grade 1 Cotillion, finishing second behind Society at odds of 48/1. Value is hard to place as the 5/2 morning line second choice when she is traditionally a big price in a race like this, but she’s not without a chance.

Most Certain Exotics Contender:
IDIOMATIC has never missed the board in eight career starts and has been in the Exacta in each of her last five, with four victories. She’s a winner on multiple surfaces and at up to 1 1/4 miles.

Best Longshot Exotics Contender:
Rail-drawn ROYAL TAKE CHARGE is the up-and-coming name in this field, having won 3-of-4 career starts. Expect her to sit back and make one big run in a race where the distance should not be a problem.

Sending it in ($100 bankroll):
$25 Exacta Box IDIOTMATIC and ROYAL TAKE CHARGE ($50); $25 Exactas IDIOMATIC over CLASSY EDITION and MORNING MATCHA ($50)