Derby Hopefuls Run in Delta Jackpot

The biggest race of the weekend goes this Saturday at Delta Downs, with the running of the $1,000,000 Grade III Delta Downs Jackpot, for two-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. In addition to the large purse available, the race is also significant in that it’s part of the schedule for the 2013-14 Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship series, in that points are available for the first four finishers toward qualifying for a spot in the starting gate for the 140^th Kentucky Derby, to be run on Saturday, May 3, 2014.

Favorite has won last two by open lengths

The morning line favorite for the Delta Jackpot at 5-2 is the Mark Casse-trained Coastline, a colt sired by Speightstown. Coastline made his racing debut in September at Churchill Downs, finishing second first time out. He broke his maiden next race, winning by 3 1/2 lengths at Keeneland, and followed that up by taking the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill, winning by three lengths going a mile. Second choice st 3-1 on the ML is Rise Up, a winner of three in five starts, including the Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta. Prior to that he was sixth in the Grade III Iroquois at Churchill.

Others already have Grade I racing experience

As is the case with juveniles, the field is a mix of some runners with experience and others without. At 4-1, Casiguapo ran his last two at the Grade I level, finishing second in the Hopeful Stakes, and most recently ran fourth in the Foxwood Champagne. At the other end of the scale, Rankhasprivledges (15-1) only has one start under his belt, but he won that at the Delta Jackpot distance of 1 1/16 miles, making steady progress through the field to win a Churchill maiden event by 1 1/2 lengths, despite the fact he had some trouble in the stretch when he tried to jump the sun break.