BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Trainer Horacio De Paz and owner DEA Thoroughbred Racing LLC appear pleased with their recent claim of Florida-bred Night Cap out of her last race as the new connections have entered her back in Sunday’s $125,000 Dashing Beauty at Delaware Park. The Dashing Beauty has attracted nine fillies and mares, 3-years-old and older, who will go six furlongs.
De Paz claimed Night Cap for $40,000 out of a second-place finish to Goodgirl Badhabits in a second condition, optional claiming going six furlongs at Pimlico on May 16. Night Cap will face Goodgirl Badhabits again in the Dashing Beauty.
It was the second consecutive race in which the 6-year-old mare was claimed after previous trainer Darien Rodriguez took her for $32,000 out a second conditioned optional claiming going six furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs on April 26, a race which she won by 14 ½ lengths against two rivals.
Night Cap comes into the Dashing Beauty having won three of her last five races, including an upper level, $62,500 optional claiming going six-and-a-half furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs on April 5. She also won a $32,000 optional claiming going six furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs in January and was third to Sterling Silver in a $50,000 overnight handicap going seven furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs on March. 9.
Night Cap has won half of her 22 career starts with a second and four thirds with earnings of $271,115. She is by J P’s Gusto out of Midnight, by Silver Deputy and was bred in Florida by Lonnie Stokes.
Flavien Prat will ride Night Cap from post six and she is 12-1 on the morning line.
Trainer Jorge Delgado will drop Olivia Darling into the Dashing Beauty after she finished out of the money in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery won by Vahva going seven furlongs at Churchill Downs on May 4.
Olivia Darling looks for her second stakes victory of the year after winning the seven-furlong Inside Information (G2) by two-and-a-quarter lengths at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27. In one other start this year, the 5-year-old mare was second to Red Carpet Ready in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie going six-and-a-half furlongs at Gulfstream on March 9.
Olivia Darling is owned by AMO Racing USA LLC and has won five with seven seconds and two thirds in 20 career starts. The daughter of Palace out of Honky Tonk Angel, by Bluegrass Cat has earned $382,763.
Olivia Darling is the 9-5 morning line favorite and will be ridden from post one by Javier Castellano.
Rounding out the field are Late Frost and jockey Jaime Rodriguez, Sheldon Russell rides Goodgirl Badhabits, Jersey Pearl will be ridden by Francisco Arrieta, Beguine has Mychel Sanchez named to ride, Gerardo Corrales will be in the saddle on Fee, Everyoneloveslinda and jockey Jose Ortiz and Red Hot Mess with pilot John Hiraldo.
