Red
Oak Stable’s Debonair Darling is consistent – you can’t take that away from
her.
But despite having never finished off the board in 10 Monmouth Park starts, the
5-year-old daughter of Formal Dinner hasn’t visited the winner’s circle since
June 2009.
Exiting
a solid second-place finish in an optional claiming event on June 4 – her first
start since Nov. 21, 2010 – Debonair Darling is expected to improve according
to trainer Gregg Sacco.
“She
needed the race badly and was game in defeat,” Sacco said. “She’s put in two really good works since
then and all systems are go.”
A
versatile mare, Debonair Darling has shown the ability to set the pace or sit
just off the leaders during her career.
Jockey
Chris DeCarlo will be aboard Saturday as the pair breaks from the far outside
gate in the field of seven.
“She
definitely has tactical speed,” Sacco said.
“I would have liked to be drawn a little more inside – sometimes out
there you have to send a little to get position. But it’s a small field, and traffic shouldn’t
be that big of an issue.”