Lexington, KY — Delaney Hanover soared from a covered outside trip off the speed for a comfortable 1:50.1 victory in the $300,000 Grade 1 60th renewal of the Kentucky Filly Futurity, sponsored by Crawford Farms, on Sunday (Oct. 5) at The Red Mile.
Leaving from post three, driver Scott Zeron settled Delaney Hanover in sixth through a tepid :28.1 first quarter cut by Deja Blu (driven by Yannick Gingras), but Zeron soon fished cover for an outside bid from Champagne Problems (Jason Bartlett) out of fifth. Miss Belmar (Andy McCarthy) then pulled out of third and looped past Deja Blu to take over the lead heading to a :55.1 half.
Champagne Problems led the outside tier into the last turn, but stalled on the approach to three-quarters in 1:22.4. Zeron fanned off cover spinning for home as Deja Blu pounced out of the pocket to hit the front and Miss Belmar broke stride. Delaney Hanover uncorked a furious rally down the outside under minimal encouragement and glided home while chased by closer R Dutchess (Tim Tetrick) to register a 1-3/4 length win. Stash Some Cash (Dexter Dunn) also swooped by tiring rivals late to take third, while Deja Blu settled for fourth.
“She really thanked me for that [trip] and when I fanned her three wide she was game,” Scott Zeron said after the race. “I thought trying to replicate that trip from last week was near impossible and would’ve done too much damage early on. I was happy where I got away, and Champagne Problems is a nice horse to follow, and I obviously trust my horse to make up a little ground late.”
A filly by Muscle Hill out of the Cantab Hall mare Danielle Hanover, Delaney Hanover won her fourth race from nine starts this season and her sixth race from 16 starts in her career, and has now earned $511,585.
“She had some issues last year, but this is what we waited for – this is why she’s only had 16 starts with this race,” said Andrew Steinberg, who co-owns Delaney Hanover through Shermay Stables with Wiesman Farms LLC and Wallin Racing Stable Inc. “Because she’s class, we didn’t want to push her. And she’s dominated. I am on cloud nine and I cannot wait to be in Canada [for the Breeders Crown] soon.”
“From the beginning, she never really took a bad step, ever,” trainer Lucas Wallin also said. “She has heart, she has brains, she has gait, she has speed, she has everything.”
Off the even-money favorite, Delaney Hanover paid $4 to win.
Earlier in the day, Zeron and Wallin also teamed for a 1:50.4 win with C Me Be Me in the $25,000 Kentucky Filly Futurity Eligibles race. Zeron pushed to clear the lead through the last turn and kept his headstrong charge together for a 1-1/2 length win over pocket-chaser and 9-5 chalk Aperfect Annie (Todd McCarthy). The daughter of Muscle Hill-Fine Tuned Lady competes for owners Julie Meirs and Jason Allen, and she paid $8.30 to win.