J.P. Delaney’s colors won’t be on display in the Kentucky Derby, five weeks hence, but he could have a very big stake in the outcome, nonetheless. Went the Day Well, owned by Team Valor and Mark Ford, captured the $500,000 Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park on Saturday to stamp him as a prime candidate leading up to the Run for the Roses. Delaney’s connection is that he bred the 3-year-old colt by Proud Citizen. Adding intrigue to the scenario is that the winner is owned and trained by the same connections that won last year’s Derby with Animal Kingdom. In fact, they used the Spiral as Animal Kingdom’s final Derby prep.
Went the Day Well, which was sold by Delaney as a weanling for $15,000, sat a couple lengths off the early pace, moved into contention around the far turn and then took the lead in midstretch, drawing off to win by three lengths, with John Velazquez in tow. Went the Day Well paid $12.40 to win.
Delaney, who was featured in the Irish Echo’s 40 Under 40 in 2009, is a New York City attorney with the firm of O’Dwyer and Bernstien, and a member of the Brehon Law Society.
Somewhere down the road, Went the Day Well might meet up with Casner Racing and Sam Pollock’s Right to Vote, which returned to the races in winning form in Saturday’s fourth race, a first-level allowance sprint, at Gulfstream Park. Eoin Harty trains this 3-year-old son of Political Force, which was last seen finishing third to Union Rags and Alpha in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park last fall. Here, he was prominent throughout and prevailed by a head under Alex Solis. Right to Vote paid $3.60 to win.
DOOLEY’S BLAZING SADDLE
Clifford Dooley had a productive week at Charles Town, where he rode six winners from just 13 mounts. The Dubliner’s first win of the week came in Tuesday’s third race aboard Northwest Express, which paid $8.80 to win. He had only one mount on Wednesday and made that a winning one, scoring aboard Cat o’ Nine Tails in the eighth race in an upset that returned $28.00 to win.
Dooley accepted only two mounts on Thursday’s card and won with both of those, as well. He reached the wire first aboard both Silver Bag, the $4.60 winner of the fourth race, followed by Muffins Magic, $8.60 in the sixth race. His string was broken on Friday, when he finished off the board in the fourth race, but he came back with a win in the seventh race aboard Ottowise, which paid $4.60 to win.
Saturday’s fourth race put Dooley back in the winner’s circle after he scored aboard Spikeavellian. The frontrunner paid $8.40 to win. Dooley’s final two mounts on the card both finished third. He currently stands seventh in a tightly packed jockeys’ race at the West Virginia oval.
TWO-FERS FOR RYAN, LYNCH
Derek Ryan had a pair of winners at Tampa Bay Downs last week. The first of those came in Wednesday’s fourth race, a starter allowance on the grass, when Ryan’s Back Away made it 3-for-3 under his master’s tutelage with a wire job that saw him reach the finish line in front by two lengths under Luis Gonzalez. Ryan claimed Back Away for $12,500 on Jan. 15 and has since gotten that sum back, plus more. Back Away paid $6.60 to win.
The fourth race seemed to be quite the spot for Ryan and Gonzalez, as they took Saturday’s fourth with Aquinnah. Ryan just acquired this 4-year-old filly after her maiden-breaking win and wasted no time finding a spot in which she would thrive. She led throughout most of this 6-furlong sprint for $16,000 claimers that hadn’t won two races and reached the wire in front by just over a length. The win mutuel came back $10.00.
Cathal Lynch got a win first time off the claim with David and Margaret Weimer’s Schist in the seventh race at Parx on Tuesday. The 3-year-old colt had shown little when shipping up from Maryland for his debut last month, but looked more like a racehorse the second time under silks. He rallied under Angel Arroyo to battle the length of the stretch in this maiden special weight race around two turns and prevail by a neck at the wire. The win mutuel came back $20.00.
