Stanton, DE (My Sportsbook) - Unbridled Belle, 2007 Delaware Handicap winner, returns to Delaware Park for Sunday's $1 million renewal versus six challengers. The 1 1/4 mile Del 'Cap is part of the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" program.
Owned by Team Valor, Unbridled Belle has been made the 2-1 morning-line favorite based on her career mark of five wins in seven starts at the track. Richard Migliore returns to ride on Sunday and will start from post five.
"She just relishes the Delaware Park course," said trainer Todd Pletcher. "We are happy to have her back another year and to give her another opportunity at this big race.
"It is race we have been lucky in over the years. We have been fortunate enough to win the race three times. It is obviously a big race and it was one of the races for fillies and mares that offers a purse of a million dollars and the race has a long and glorious tradition, so we would be delighted to win it again."
Pletcher would equal the record of four wins for a trainer set by Henry Clark who won the Delaware Handicap in 1958 and 1959 with Endine and in 1969 and 1970 with Obeah. Along with the 2007 victory, Pletcher won the race in 2001 with Irving's Baby and in 2006 with Fleet Indian.
Unbridled Belle is coming off her second straight victory in the $125,000 Obeah Stakes at Delaware Park. The six-year-old mare has a career record of seven wins from 20 starts for $1,595,662, including $977,800 at Delaware Park.
The 5-2 second choice is trainer David Carroll's Acoma. The four-year-old filly will break from post four with Julien Leparoux back in the saddle.
Owned by Helen Alexander and Helen Groves, Acoma won the Mint Julep Handicap at Churchill Downs in her last start. The filly has a lifetime mark of seven wins from 11 starts for $597,165.
Swift Temper has been installed as the 4-1 third choice in the program. Owned by Mark Stanley and trained by Dale Romans, the five-year-old will be ridden by Alan Garcia from the outside post.
The mare has a lifetime record of four wins in 26 starts for $433,346. She was second last month in the Fleur De Lis at Churchill Downs after a third-place result in the Louisville Distaff in May. Swift Temper won the Sixty Sails Handicap at Hawthorne in April.
Here is the complete field for the Del 'Cap in post position order: Temple Street, Jon Court, 10-1; Morena, Rosie Napravnik, 8-1; Icon Project, Jose Valdivia, Jr., 6-1; Acoma, Julian Leparoux, 5-2; Unbridled Belle, Richard Migliore, 2-1; Livin Lovin, Ramon Dominguez, 10-1 and Swift Temper, Alan Garcia, 4-1.
The winner of the Delaware Handicap will gain automatic entry into this year's $2 million Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic on November 6 at Santa Anita Park.
"It is an honor for the Delaware Handicap to be selected as a Breeders' Cup Challenge race and qualifier for the Ladies' Classic for the second straight year," said Bill Fasy, CEO of Delaware Park. "The Delaware Handicap has a long and prestigious tradition and we are proud to have our signature race of the season as part of such an exciting series."
The Del 'Cap will have an approximate post-time of 5:35 P.M. (et).