BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Stonehedge LLC homebred Dean Delivers, who had his four-race winning streak snapped last out when third in the Grade 3 Vosburgh, returns to action Friday at Aqueduct for the $150,000 Fall Highweight. Along with fellow Florida-bred Baby Yoda, Dean Delivers is among nine entered for the six-furlong test for 3-year-olds and older.
After setting the early fractions over a sloppy seven furlongs in the Sept. 28 Vosburgh, Dean Delivers could not hold off the late-running Mufasa and runner-up Scotland in suffering his first loss since joining the barn of trainer Edward Allard in May.
The 5-year-old Dean Delivers started his streak with an eight-length victory in the slop, taking the $104,000 Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park on May 27. He then traveled to Delaware Park to win the $125,000 Alapocas Run by two-and-a-half lengths on July 8 before winning the $150,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel on July 28. In his last race before the Vosburgh, Dean Delivers scored in the $100,000 Rumson going five furlongs at Monmouth on Sept. 1.
Dean Delivers is by Stonehedge Farm South stallion Cajun Breeze out of Slick and True, by Yes It’s True. He has won nine of 26 career starts with eight seconds and three thirds with earnings of $817,660.
Kendrick Carmouche will ride Dean Delivers for the first time from post five and they are 6-1 on the morning line.
Fourth in the Vosburgh, Baby Yoda seeks his first victory since taking the Grade 2 True North by six lengths at Saratoga Race Course on June 8.
Trainer Bill Mott then tried him against Grade 1 company in the six-furlong Alfred G. Vanderbilt on July 27 and in the seven-furlong Forego on Aug. 24, both at Saratoga, but he finished fourth and six respectively before going in the Vosburgh.
Bred in Florida by Kathleen Amaya and Alexandro Centofanti, Baby Yoda is by Prospective out of More Than Speed, by More Than Ready. Now racing for Pantofel Stable LLC, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber and Jerold L. Zaro, Baby Yoda has career earnings of $880,720.
Baby Yoda will break from post three with Javier Castellano aboard and they are 12-1 in the program.
Favored at 9-5 in the program is Giant Mischief, a length-and-three-quarters winner of a third condition, $100,000 optional claiming at Keeneland in his only start this year on Oct. 12.
Giant Mischief is trained by Brad Cox and is owned by the expansive partnership of Spendthrift Farm LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Steve Landers, Martin S. Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, James J. Bakke, Titletown Racing Stables, Kueber Racing LLC, Big Easy Racing LLC, Rick Kanter and Michael J. Caruso.
A 4-year-old son of Into Mischief, out of Vertical Oak, by Giant Oak, Giant Mischief has won half of his eight career starts with two seconds and a third while earning $428,105.
Manny Franco will ride Giant Mischief from the outside post nine.
Rounding out the field are Downtownchalybrown with Jose Gomez in the irons, Super Chow will have David Egan aboard, Twenty Four Mamba with jockey Dylan Davis, Runningsonofagun and rider Joel Rosario, Jevian Toledo takes the call on Witty and Top Gunner will be ridden by Jose Lezcano.
