Wide-Open Grade 3 Obeah Stakes Serves as Prep for Del. Cap

Fortune Pearl, the 3/1 morning line favorite for trainer Graham Motion, enters the race off a seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 DuPont Distaff Stakes at Pimlico May 15. Prior to that effort the four year-old daughter of Mineshaft won an allowance optional claiming event April 4 at Keeneland after spending nearly eight months on the sideline. Fortune Pearl won the Grade 2 Delaware Oaks in 2014, and has won four of ten starts in her career. Jockey Trevor McCarthy has the mount breaking from post three.

Montana Native comfortable in Delaware 

4/1 second choice, Montana Native, is trained by Cristophe Clement and enters the Obeah off an eighth-place effort in the Monmouth Beach Stakes May 24 following a nearly nine month layoff. The five year-old daughter  of Yes It’s True, is a multiple minor stakes winner, and place second in last year’s Obeah Stakes and Grade 2 Molly Pitcher Stakes. Jockey Alex Cintron gets the call breaking from post seven. Montana Native has won 5 of 19 starts for earnings of nearly $400,000.

Joint Return passes class test 

At 5/1, Joint Return is a logical play for trainer John Servis. The four year-old daughter of include has won 5 of 13 career starts for earnings of $443,154, and finished third in the Dupont Distaff Stakes ahead of Fortune Pearl. As a three year-old, Joint Return kept top company finishing second in both the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes and Delaware Oaks.