Margie's Intention Faces Familiar Foes in Delaware Oaks

Fresh off a come-from-behind win in the May 16 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) at Pimlico Race Course, Margie's Intention aims for a consecutive victory in the $300,000 Delaware Oaks (G3) June 14 at Delaware Park. The 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies, race 9 on a stakes-laden Saturday program, features a rematch with Paris Lily and Kinzie Queen, second and third, respectively, behind Margie's Intention in the Black-Eyed Susan. Margie's Intention is the 5-2 morning-line favorite. Daughter of 2021 Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Honor A. P., and trained by two-time Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox, the Louisiana-bred filly boasts five top-two finishes, including three wins in six starts for total earnings of $294,880 for Baron Stable and WinStar Farm. Rain is expected over the weekend in Wilmington, Del., which will likely make for wet conditions at Delaware Park, where the fillies could again tackle a sloppy track similar to the surface they ran on in last month's Black-Eyed Susan. Margie's Intention has two wins in as many starts on off tracks as she strives to recapture success again. John Holleman and Compton Racing's Kinzie Queen came two lengths short of claiming back-to-back wins when third in the Black-Eyed Susan. In the Delaware Oaks, the McKinzie filly has the opportunity to avenge her third-place finish and defeat her rival. "(Kinize Queen) is doing really good," trainer Greg Compton said. "She came out of the Black-Eyed Susan in great shape, and she has been training really well." In the Black-Eyed Susan, Kinzie Queen closed from eighth, 15 lengths behind, to finish third, two lengths behind Margie's Intention. "She looks great, and I even think she put on a little weight since the Black-Eyed Susan," Compton said. "I expect her to run well in the Oaks. Hopefully, we can get a contested pace scenario for her late run. She will finish strong (in) the last quarter of a mile." Kinzie Queen, 6-1 on the morning line, is the most experienced filly in the field with 12 starts. Godolphin homebred Paris Lily finished second in the Black-Eyed Susan. The daughter of City of Light led the field for much of the race until Margie's Intention surged past her in the final sixteenth of a mile. Paris Lily, who ran a career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 92 in the Black-Eyed Susan, is the 9-2 third choice on the morning line. Fondly, the 7-2 second choice on the morning line, won her first two career starts, including the Virginia Oaks, before taking on some of the best 3-year-old fillies in the country in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). The Graham Motion trainee will be looking to bounce back Saturday after an 11th-place finish in the Run for the Lilies. The Delaware Oaks is one of five stakes on the Saturday program, the others being the $100,000 Alapocas Run Stakes, the $150,000 Obeah Stakes, the $200,000 Cape Henlopen Stakes, and the $200,000 Delaware Derby. Gun Song and Admiral Dennis are favored in the Obeah Stakes and Delaware Derby, respectively.