Life at Ten makes it six in a row in Del ‘Cap

Life at Ten is headed to Saratoga following her Del ‘Cap triumph (Melissa Wirth/Horsephotos.com) Cynthia DeBartolo’s LIFE AT TEN (Malibu Moon) entered the gate in Saturday’s $750,350 Delaware H. (G2) riding a five-race win streak. Just two minutes after those gates had opened, the Todd Pletcher trainee had extended her winning skein to six following a easy three-length score under jockey John Velazquez. Life at Ten broke from the far outside 6 post in the Del ‘Cap, but took control of the race from the offset, posting fractions of :24 4/5, :49 3/5, 1:14 and 1:38 1/5. Miss Match (Arg) (Indygo Shiner) kept pace just off the leader’s flank on the backstretch, but fell back nearing the turn. Life at Ten, meanwhile, was still loping along under her own power. Velazquez finally gave her a couple of taps in the stretch run, but the the chestnut was cruising by this point and he put away the whip. “On paper it looked like she was the controlling speed, but you never know,” Pletcher said. “She was fortunate to get an easy first quarter and half and she really had a lot left in the stretch. “We will probably look at the (August 29) Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga next and go from there.” Life at Ten crossed under the line an comfortable winner, finishing up 1 1/4 miles on Delaware Park’s fast main track in 2:03 1/5. She paid $3.20, $2.40 and $2.10 while starting the $7.40 exacta, $17.80 trifecta and $35.80 superfecta (6-2-1-3) as the 3-5 favorite. Miss Singhsix (Ire) (Singspiel [Ire]) was best of the rest at 6-1, returning $3.20 and $2.40 for finishing 2 3/4 lengths in front of 3-1 second choice Funny Moon (Malibu Moon), who gave back $2.20. Milwaukee Appeal (Milwaukee Brew) just missed third by a neck on the line, and was followed under the wire by Miss Match and Million Seller (A.P. Indy).

Life at Ten spent her first five races competing on the synthetics in
California and Kentucky, racking up a 5-1-3-1 mark on the all-weather surfaces.
She posted a pair of allowance runner-up efforts sprinting at Saratoga last
season, then suffered her only off-the-board placing to date when trying the
turf at Belmont Park. The chestnut has been unbeatable since returning to the
main track, capturing an allowance, the Snit S. and the Rare Treat S. in
succession at Aqueduct.

She made her graded bow in the Sixty Sails S. (G3) on April 17, posting a
one-length score on that day, and Pletcher decided to give the five-year-old a
shot in the Ogden Phipps H. (G1) at Belmont Park instead of the traditional Del
‘Cap local prep of the Obeah S. (G3). The move paid dividends as Life at Ten ran
away to a 2 3/4-length victory in that 1 1/16-mile event. She doubled her
earnings with the winner’s share here to $909,267, and now owns a 14-7-5-1
career line.

As for Pletcher, this win gave him a record-equaling fourth score in the Del
‘Cap following victories by Unbridled Belle (2007), Fleet Indian (2006) and
Irving’s Baby (2001). Henry Clark set the mark when taking the 1958 and 1959
editions with Endine, and the 1969 and 1970 runnings with Obeah.

“It is just special to win the Delaware Handicap because it is such an
important race for fillies and mares,” Pletcher said. “We have always looked at
the Del ‘Cap as a great opportunity. It has a great tradition and great purse
and we have been fortunate enough to win the race four times.”

Bred in Kentucky by Nickelback Farm, Life at Ten sold for $35,000 as a
Keeneland September yearling. She is out of the winning Rahrahsixboombah (Rahy)
and comes from the same female line as multiple Grade 2 winners Chimes Band
(Dixieland Band) and Freefourinternet (Tabasco Cat).  A little farther back,
Life at Ten is related to noted sires Relaunch (In Reality) and Glitterman (Dewan).