Darlin's Delight bids for repeat in Lady Liberty

June 12, 2008

Darlin�s Delight seeks to defend her crown in the $250,000 Lady Liberty Final on Friday night at the Meadowlands, where she will be taking on a deep field of 11 other mares.

The 2006 3-Year-Old Filly Pacer of the Year is rated at 10-1 from post two in the night�s seventh race. Trained by Jeff Stafford, she is the richest of five millionaires in the talented field of 12. Southwind Tempo, My Little Dragon, Marnie Hall and Moving Pictures are also members of the earnings club.

�The crop of older pacing mares this year is unbelievably strong competition and any one of them can jump up at any time,� Stafford said. �I�m certainly happy with drawing post two and obviously [our strategy] depends on what John Campbell does with Southwind Tempo. If he guns her, I think that puts us in a real good spot. Moving Pictures isn�t as quick off the gate.�

Darlin�s Delight had a prolific sophomore season in which she won 10 of 15 starts and just under $1 million. She returned at four to capture the Lady Liberty at the Meadowlands, but capped the season with just three wins in 13 starts.

�She had her issues last year,� Stafford said. �She gets corns in the soles of her feet. It�s just like how people get them. You treat it with a lot of hot water and Epsom Salt to dry them out and get the soreness out. I don�t think it�s hereditary. It�s just from wear and tear.

�When she won the Lady Liberty [in 2007] it was only her third start back and she crushed them first over in 1:49.1,� he continued. �She�s fresh and ready for that kind of effort again. That�s basically been our game plan with her. We point her for the major events. With a classy mare like her, you try to aim for the big ones and get your prep races where you can. She finished up 2007 good and sound. Our plan is the same this year. We�ll just race her and see how she pans out.�

Darlin�s Delight enters the Lady Liberty with a career slate of 23 wins in 47 starts and earnings of $1.9 million. In her second start this season, she finished third behind Southwind Tempo and My Little Dragon in the Betsey Ross Final at Harrah�s Chester. She turned the tables on Southwind Tempo at the Meadowlands on May 23, winning by a nose in 1:51.1. Last week, she closed in 26.2 to finish sixth, 3-1/2 lengths behind the winner Southwind Tempo.

�At Chester [in the Betsy Ross], she raced well, but the other mares had several starts on her,� Stafford said. �We gave her three months off over the winter. I wasn�t surprised by her win two starts back when she nosed out Southwind Tempo. She was tight and ready to roll. She actually came back this year a little on the heavy side and I knew it was going to take her a few starts to get in gear. She raced real good last week and it was an easy mile for her. They went to the half in just 57 seconds and she paced her back half in :53.1 and final quarter in :26.2.�

Darlin�s Delight has the Roses Are Red, Classic Series, Golden Girls, Milton and Breeders Crown ahead of her this season. White Birch Farms of Allentown, NJ, bred and owns the daughter of Bettor�s Delight.

�We�re just a few dollars shy of $2 million with her and we�re proud of that,� Stafford said. �I don�t know if she�s our Golden Child, but she sure is special to us. The girl who works with her is Vicki Wright and she�s been with her since she was three. Also, it�s great when you can get the same driver every time and Yannick Gingras has also been a huge plus.�

Stafford, 38, trains both Standardbred and Thoroughbred racehorses at White Birch Farm.

�I�m still training Thoroughbreds here,� he said. �I�ve got eight or nine babies. We break them and get them ready with an exercise boy, and some of them are about ready to head to Belmont Park. Dominick Shettino trains them there.�

H, PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer, Odds

1, 1, Mind Boggling, David Miller, Ross Croghan, 10-1

1A, 11, Life Of Luxury N, Eric Goodell, Ross Croghan, 10-1

2, 2, Darlin's Delight, Yannick Gingras, Jeff Stafford, 10-1

3, 3, Born Storyteller, Cat Manzi, Kelvin Harrison, 15-1

4, 4, Marnie Hall, Dan Dube, Mark Silva, 12-1

5, 5, Moving Pictures, Mark MacDonald, Casie Coleman, 9-2

6, 6, Southwind Tempo, John Campbell, Kevin Lare, 5-2

7, 7, Ideal Weather, Ron Pierce, Mickey Burke, 15-1

8, 8, My Little Dragon, Brian Sears, Noel Daley, 7-2

9, 9, Street Dancer, Andy Miller, Julie Miller, 12-1

10, 10, U All BB, Joe Pavia Jr, Monte Gelrod, 15-1

11, 12, Tidewaterdragonfly, Tim Tetrick, Kelly O' Donnell, 8-1

A VIEW FROM THE BIKE: THE LADY LIBERTY

Some of the sport�s top reinsman weighed in on their contenders for the $250,000 Lady Liberty on Friday night at the Meadowlands:

#1 Mind Boggling - Dave Miller: "I chose her over U ALL BB. It was a tough choice, but either way, neither figures to be a big factor in the race. Driving for Croghan was probably the difference in choosing her. I think there are legitimately six horses in here who can win it. It�s a very competitive race. I'm just hoping to get a piece of it."

#1A Life Of Luxury N - Tim Tetrick [who chose off this mare]: "I chose Tidewaterdragonfly because she's more versatile. Life Of Luxury N doesn't leave that well and in a 12-horse field, you can find yourself well back early. She has to have a fast pace to close into."

#2 Darlins Delight � Yannick Gingras: "She's sounder than she's been since she was two. Last week, she came home in 53 flat. They got to the half real slow and we were there in 58.1. She's sharp. She's got a good starting position, can get out of there real well and has an excellent chance to repeat as the winner. Defending champion has earnings of $1,964,586, making her the fifth richest pacing mare of all time. She becomes the fourth pacing mare to reach $2 million with a 1-2-3 finish. Burning Point (2005-2006) is the only mare to win the Lady Liberty back to back.

#4 Marnie Hall - Daniel Dube: "She really hasn't gotten underway like I'd have hoped so far this year. Two starts back, she was very good. I'm expecting that a little later in the year, she'll be at her best."

#7 Ideal Weather - Ron Pierce: "Her last start I got away in the pack, closed steadily with her and finished with plenty of pace. She was strong. She's coming into this race in very good shape."

#9 Street Dancer - Andy Miller: "Drawing post nine in a 12-horse field is not fun. She's about as good right now as she's been. Remembe,r she was a top stakes filly in Illinois when she was three. She's 28-for-65 lifetime, but she's in a position where she may not have a chance to win."

#11 Tidewaterdragonfly, Tim Tetrick: "She beat Southwind Tempo a couple of times last year, so I know she's a quality mare. It was a tough choice between her and Life Of Luxury N, but the fact that she's coming into the race off a big win and you can do what you want with her early in the mile was the difference."(Meadowlands)

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