Postponed two days after Saturday’s card at Delaware Park was canceled due to extreme heat, the $300,125 Delaware Oaks (G3) on Monday proved well worth the wait when Power Squeeze prevailed by the narrowest of noses over Sidamara in a thrilling finish.
Although the 6-5 second choice to stakes newcomer Sidamara, who was sent off at 3-5 following back-to-back wins in Kentucky, Power Squeeze was the established class of the 1 1/8-mile Delaware Oaks. A three-time stakes winner earlier this season, including the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), Power Squeeze had recently rebounded from nondescript sixth in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) to finish third in the Acorn (G1) behind Thorpedo Anna, the pro tem leader of the division.
Breaking on top, Power Squeeze was soon taken back by jockey Javier Castellano and settled in fifth around the first turn. Gradually improving her position down the backside and into the far turn, Power Squeeze got a modest jump on Sidamara approaching the turn for home, raced in tandem with that rival after getting past long time leader Ringy Dingy inside the eighth pole, and bravely held on to score the win.
Owned by Lea Farms and trained by Jorge Delgado, Power Squeeze finished up in a swift 1:47.65 over a fast track and paid $4.60 to win. Following Sidamara under the wire were 70-1 outsider Regaled, Call Another Play, Ringy Dingy, and Princess Indy.
Power Squeeze has now won five of nine starts and more than $592,000. In addition to Oaks at Delaware and Gulfstream, Power Squeeze earned earlier stakes wins in the Cash Run S. at Gulfstream and Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs.
Rather than lock horns with Thorpedo Anna again at Saratoga, trainer Jorge Delgado said Power Squeeze would target the $1 million Cotillion (G1) at Parx on Sept. 21, with a possible interim start in the $200,000 Cathryn Sophia S. over the same track on Aug. 24.
Bred in Kentucky by Forging Oaks Farm and last sold as a $90,000 OBS April juvenile, Power Squeeze is by Union Rags and out of the multiple stakes-winning Callmethesqueeze, a daughter of Awesome Again. Power Squeeze is a half-sister to another stakes winner, the Into Mischief filly Call on Mischief.
Another three-year-old filly to star on Monday’s program was Whiskey Decision, a decisive winner of the $150,500 Christiana S. in her stakes debut.
Favored at 1-5 off a sparkling turf debut win in a Churchill Downs allowance in May, Whiskey Decision repelled a brief stretch challenge from second choice Style Points and drew off to win by 2 3/4 lengths under Javier Castellano. Belle of Rights rallied to finish second ahead of Style Points.
A homebred racing for Frederick Hertrich III and John Fielding, Whiskey Decision paid $2.40 after covering 1 1/8 miles over a firm turf in 1:49.23. She is trained by Arnaud Delacour and has now won three straight after dropping her debut in a sprint at Turfway Park in February.
By Into Mischief, Whiskey Decision was reared by Funny Song, a daughter of Distorted Humor. The Kentucky-bred hails from the family of multiple Grade 1 winner Music Note, the dam of Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Mystic Guide. His fourth dam was It’s in the Air, co-champion juvenile filly of 1978.
