Gambling news from http://www.delawareonline.com/
STANTON -- When most handicappers look at 5-year-old Fin, they probably wonder why trainer H. Graham Motion has a turf horse entered in today's $1 million Delaware Handicap, which is run on Delaware Park's main dirt track.
After all, the daughter of Groom Dancer has run 15 of her 16 career starts on the grass. However, when the $100,000 John Rooney Memorial was moved from the DelPark turf to the dirt track June 3 because of rain, Fin stayed in the race and won it by two lengths with Ramon Dominguez up.
Based on that performance and excellent training on the dirt, Motion has decided to take a shot in the Grade II DelCap. Fin is a 12-1 morning line long shot in the field of 10 fillies and mares.
Motion, who stables at DelPark and Fair Hill, Md., won the 1997 DelCap with long shot Power Play. Fin, by Groom Dancer and the dam Bonne Ile, was bred in Great Britain.
"The day she won at Delaware she was very impressive," Motion said. "I know she was beating a bunch of turf horses on the dirt, but she runs with a lot of confidence. We thought, 'Why not take a shot?' "
The Todd Pletcher-trained duo of Fleet Indian and La Reason are the mares to beat. Fleet Indian is the 3-2 morning line favorite with Jose Santos up. La Reason, second in the Grade II Louisville Breeders Cup, is 7-2 with Garrett Gomez.
Fleet Indian is seeking her seventh consecutive victory.
"After we won the race at Delaware, Bridgett [McFadden], the stakes coordinator, suggested that I nominate her for the Delaware Handicap," Motion said. "In the meantime, I decided to run her on the turf again on July Fourth weekend at Mountaineer [W.Va.]. I thought she could get a piece of the purse.
"She has some pretty good European pedigree for the turf. She didn't pick up her feet that day. I thought that maybe she wants to stay on dirt. I've done crazier things. If you remember, Power Play won the Delaware Handicap at 27-1."
Fin's numbers on turf aren't spectacular, but she does have three career wins and four third-place finishes in 16 starts.
However, the European pedigree Motion noted produced some good history on the grass. Groom Dancer was a group winner in France, winning eight of 11 starts on grass. Bonne Ile, with career earnings of $479,000, won the Grade I Yellow Ribbon on turf at Santa Anita in 1986, and was third in a Grade III stakes in New York on the dirt.
"I feel she will always run her race," Motion said. "She seems fine and, obviously, I wouldn't do it if I didn't think we had a chance. One thing about her, if she doesn't win she is always right there."
Pletcher is hoping for sunny skies and a dry track today for Fleet Indian.
"Her works coming up to the race have been super," Pletcher said. "I just hope it doesn't rain, because she really doesn't like an off track."
La Reason also ran third in the Grade I Apple Blossom and can't be overlooked. She was fourth her last time out in the Grade II Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs.
"She's been running against some pretty good company in graded races," Pletcher said.
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