Elate becomes millionaire after Delaware Handicap

The key race of the 2017 Oaklawn Park meeting has now produced two millionaires following Elate’s victory in the Grade 2

$750,000 Delaware Handicap for older fillies and mares Saturday at Delaware Park.

Elate, who was making her 4-year-old debut, was a 3 1/4-length winner under Jose Ortiz to push her career earnings to $1,270,325. A daughter of Oaklawn stakes winners Medaglia d’Oro and Cheery, Elate races for her breeders, Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider, and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Oaklawn’s leading trainer in 1986.

Elate finished a troubled third as the favorite in the Grade 3

$200,000 Honeybee Stakes in 2017 at Oaklawn. She is among seven of the 11 Honeybee starters to return and win at least one stakes race. Overall, those seven runners have a combined 14 stakes victories, including 10 graded.

The now-retired It Tiz Well returned to capture the Grade 3

$300,000 Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park and Grade 1 $1 million Cotillion at Parx and compiled $1,130,840 in earnings.

Following the Honeybee, Elate won the $50,000 Light Hearted Stakes at Delaware Park, Grade 1 $600,000 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga and Grade 1 400,000 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park and was a finalist for champion 3-year-old filly.

The Delaware Handicap, one of the nation’s most prestigious races for older fillies and mares, marked the first start for Elate

since finishing fourth as the favorite in the Grade 1 $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff Nov. 3 at Del Mar. In the 1 1/4-mile race, the filly covered the distance in

2:04.83 over a fast track and paid

$3.20 as the 3-5 favorite. Elate has a 5-3-1 record from 11 starts overall.

Medaglia d’Oro broke his maiden in 2002 at Oaklawn for four-time Oaklawn training champion David Vance. Medaglia d’Oro returned to Hot Springs the following year to win the Grade

2 $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap for Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel.

Cheery, in her final career start, won the $60,000 American Beauty Stakes for older female sprinters in 2013 at Oaklawn for Claiborne and Dilschneider, who also bred the daughter of Distorted Humor, and trainer Al Stall.

Pinch Hit, who broke her maiden for a $40,000 claiming tag at the 2017 Oaklawn meeting, was a three-quarter length winner of the $100,000 Mari Hulman George Stakes Saturday at Indiana Grand.

It was the second career stakes victory for Pinch Hit, a

4-year-old daughter of Harlan’s Holiday who races for owner Klein Racing and Brad Cox, fourth in Oaklawn’ trainer standings this year. Pinch Hit won the

$100,000 Dogwood last fall at Churchill Downs.

Favored at 9-5 in the Mari Hulman George, Pinch Hit ($5.60) ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:43.92 under Julien Leparoux. Arkansas-bred Dutch Parrot, a two-time winner at the 2017 Oaklawn meeting, finished third for breeder/owner John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs and trainer Will VanMeter.

Pinch Hit increased her career earnings to $235,600 following her fifth victory from 13 starts.

The Mari Hulman George was one of three stakes victories on the card for Cox, who had 27 winners this year at Oaklawn. He also won the $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial with Pioneer Spirit ($6) and the $100,000 Warrior Veterans with favored Dot Matrix ($5.60).

Pioneer Spirit is owned by Steve Landers, a member of the Arkansas Racing Commission who won four races this year at Oaklawn.

Cox and Landers teamed for an allowance victory July 6 at Prairie Meadows with Leofric, who was making his first start since finishing second in the Grade 3 $500,000 Razorback Handicap for older horses Feb. 19 at Oaklawn.

Oaklawn allowance winner Title Ready finished third in the Grade 3 $500,000 Indiana Derby Saturday at Indiana Grand.

Edgar Morales, Oaklawn’s leading apprentice this year, has a meet-high 11 victories at Ellis Park, which opened July 1. Morales was also the leading apprentice at the Churchill Downs spring meeting.

Oaklawn stakes winners My Boy Jack (Southwest), High North (Northern Spur) and Red Ruby (Martha Washington) are among

44 nominees to the Grade 1 $1 million Haskell Invitational for

3-year-olds July 29 at Monmouth Park. Also nominated to the 1

1/8-mile race are Oaklawn allowance winner Bravazo and Quip and Tenfold, second and fifth, respectively, in the Grade 1 $1 million Arkansas Derby April 14 at Oaklawn.