Delaware Oaks features Grade 1 winners Round Pound and Sis City

Delaware Oaks features Grade 1 winners Round Pound and Sis

City

Once beaten ROUND POUND (Awesome Again), winner of the Acorn S. (G1) and

Fantasy S. (G2) in her last two starts, and Ashland S. (G1) heroine SIS CITY

(Slew City Slew) highlight a field of eight sophomore fillies entered for

Saturday's $500,000 Delaware Oaks (G2). The talented lasses will meet for the

first time in the 1 1/16-mile event.

Trained by John Servis, Round Pond dropped her career bow in mid-February and

has won four straight starts since, including the one-mile Acorn at Belmont Park

by 1 1/2 lengths on June 4. She defeated Smuggler (Unbridled), who came back to

win the Mother Goose S. (G1), and Splendid Blended (Unbridled's Song), who

returned to defeat older distaffers in the Vanity H. (G1) in her last

appearance. Stewart Elliott rides.

Sis City finished fourth as the favorite in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) most

recently, but she doesn't appear to care for Churchill Downs (0-0-1 from three

starts) and should be much more formidable racing outside of Louisville,

Kentucky. The bay filly dominated her competition in her first two attempts this

year, winning the Davona Dale S. (G2) by 16 lengths and Ashland by 10 1/2, and

Sis City will make her first start under the direction of new trainer Bobby

Frankel on Saturday.

The complete field, from the rail with pilots and weights, is LISAIZED (Wayne

County [Ire]), Eriluis Vaz, 115; BAYOU BREEZE (A.P. Indy), no rider, 115; PLEASANT CHIMES (Pleasant Tap), no rider, 119; BROOKE'S

HALO (Southern Halo), Jason Lumpkins, 119; R LADY JOY (Vicar), Jose Lezcano,

119; Sis City, Edgar Prado, 122; DANCE AWAY CAPOTE (Capote), Rafael Bejarano,

119; and Round Pond, 122.

The $300,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial Breeders' Cup H. and $100,000 R.R.M.

Carpenter Jr. Memorial H. will also be held Saturday at Delaware Park. The

former drew an overflow of 15 for fillies and mares for 11 furlongs on the turf,

and Grade 2 winner HONEY RYDER (Lasting Approval) is the 120-pound highweight.

The Carpenter, which will be held at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, attracted

eight runners, including nine-time stakes victor CHEROKEE'S BOY (Citidancer),

who exits wins in the Skip Away S. and Brandywine H.