February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
With Jim Jerkens now handling his string, Delaney’s luck took flight when Continental Reins got up by a neck to take the opener, a first-level allowance race, on July 30.
The next day, Mayo Post brought a six-length lead into the stretch in the seventh race and prevailed by five as the odds-on favorite. Then, on Sunday past, Irish Princess overcame a bad start to justify her status as the 3-2 favorite, scoring by three lengths in a non-winners of 2 (other than) allowance race. Delaney, who made his mark with Harbour Lights at New York’s South Street Seaport, bred all three winners, each of which was foaled in New York.
Nico Nierenberg’s Tucked Away has recently played a supporting role in various California stakes races, but she got top billing when she prevailed by a nose over Hollywood Story in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap at Del Mar on Sunday. The 5-year-old mare is trained by Co. Tyrone native Pat Gallagher.
Ridden by Alex Solis, Tucked Away gained the lead in deep stretch and showed her grit, stopping the Teletimer in 1:42.82 for a mile and a sixteenth on the main track. She rewarded her faithful with $40.40 to win.
The mare was claimed for $40,000 by Gallagher in December of 2002 out of just her second start. She broke her maiden the next April and had two victories in California-bred stakes on her resume. The Hirsch, a Grade 2, was Tucked Away?s first success in a graded race. She now has five career victories from 29 starts, with earnings of $582,956.
Niall O’Callaghan isn’t shy at putting his horses on vans in search of far-flung riches and he was rewarded by Tara’s Touch, victorious in the $176,800 Royal North Handicap at Woodbine, a Grade 3 at six furlongs on the grass. The winner, a 6-year-old South African-bred mare, was making her fifth start for her Cork-born and raised trainer. She previously won the Stravinsky at Keeneland in April.
Tara’s Touch stalked Unbridled Sidney before taking the lead in deep stretch, getting the jump on the late-rushing Saint Etienne. Tara’s Touch, ridden by Rob Landry, won by a half-length over Saint Etienne, timed in 1:09.79 on firm turf. Tara’s Touch paid $19.40 to win.