How to bet the 2023 Delaware Oaks

A talented and well-matched field of 10 three-year-old fillies will vie in Saturday’s $300,000 Delaware Oaks (G3). The 1 1/16-mile affair lacks a true standout, in my opinion, and it looks like a nice spot to dabble with a few contenders in hopes of cashing a healthy ticket, or tickets!

The Rob Atras-conditioned #5 Balpool has impressed me on a few occasions this season and gets the slightest of nods in the contest. By Uncaptured, the sophomore miss is a three-time winner in 2023 and rallied to finish fourth in the competitive Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) at Pimlico most recently following a tardy break from the gate. The Florida-bred is not the swiftest gate horse in training, but she does own tactical foot combined with a nice stretch kick, and I envision her sitting a nice stalking trip to the top of the lane in the tilt. The $75,000 yearling purchase will be a fair price under Luis Rodriguez Castro.

Chad Brown’s #4 Fireline took a massive step forward when posting a game allowance win at Belmont Park off of a nearly six-month absence last time out. The Juddmonte homebred had graduated by 13 lengths in her juvenile finale and proved that the huge tally was no fluke, and she toppled a nice prospect while coming home fast at the one-turn mile distance in her latest showing. The Arrogate gray will try two turns for the initial time and seems poised to thrive at it with Dylan Davis taking the reins.

#8 Miracle is an obvious player, having won or placed in all but one career assignment to date for Todd Pletcher. The Empire State-bred filly has hit the board in five stakes races in her lifetime, led by a close second to Kentucky Oaks (G1) heroine Pretty Mischievous at Fair Grounds three prior. The Mendelssohn miss is a sure top-three player with anything near her best under Trevor McCarthy.

And while I am not in love with the winning chances by #10 Crypto Mama, I do admire that the Kelly Breen pupil has finished in the money in eight of her nine career tries to date. The consistent daughter of Cloud Computing owns a trio of black-type placings in her lifetime and could claim another on Saturday despite drawing widest of all.

Delaware Oaks Wagers

$2 trifecta: 4,5 with 4,5,8,10 with 4,5,8,10 ($24)

$.50-cent trifecta: 4,5 with 4,5,8,10 with all ($24)

$.50-cent superfecta: 4,5 with 4,5 with 8,10 with all ($14)