By Christina Bossinakis
Lael Stables' Luv Your Neighbor (Constitution), who hadn't visited the winner's circle since her debut win last September, marked her return to the winner's circle with stylish victory in Saturday's GIII Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park.
Sent off the 2-1 second choice, Luv Your Neighbor was settled in a two-wide fifth as 8-5 choice Dazzling Dame (Girvin) shot to the front, leading 5-1 chance Jumping the Gun (Gun Runner) through an opening quarter mile in :23.76. Narrowing the gap on the front running pair through a :47.82 half, Luv Your Neighbor eagerly confronted the leaders as the trio of fillies rounded the home turn in unison. Drifting a bit wide off the turn, the ultimate winner was moving best of all late, kicking clear to best Jumping the Gun by 1 1/4 lengths. Dazzling Dame held on to be third.
The Ontario-bred filly has been knocking on the door ever since her debut win at Colonial last September, hitting the board in six of seven subsequent starts. In her only forgettable race, she finished a well-beaten seventh over Woodbine's synthetic surface in last fall's Glorious Song Stakes before stringing together four consecutive runner-up finishes, including the Untapable Stakes at Fair Grounds in December.
Launching her sophomore season in a similar vein, she was a neck behind winner Taken by the Wind (Rock Your World) in the Silverbulletday Stakes on Jan. 17 before finishing a half-length behind Bella Ballerina (Street Sense) in the GII Rachel Alexandra Stakes on Valentine's Day.
Fading to third–beaten 8 1/2 lengths–in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks on Mar. 21, the Canadian bred found only On Time Girl (Not This Time) too good in the seven-furlong GII Eight Belles Stakes on May 1.
“She has run against the very best 3-year-old fillies and it was just a matter of time before she got her day and today was the day,” said winning trainer Michael Stidham. “[Jockey Luis] Saez has ridden her multiple times and he has gotten to know her. In a couple of her races, he has kind of used her to be close to the pace. Today, he sat a little bit off of it and he made is move when he needed to do it.”
“I have trained a lot of nice fillies over the years and this is one who has a constitution you would not believe. She is in good physical condition after a lot of hard races and shipping.”
LUV YOUR NEIGHBOR ($6.80) and @luissaezpty rallied on the outside to win the $300,000 Delaware Oaks (G3) at @DelParkRacing. @Stidhamracing trains the daughter of Constitution (@WinStarFarm). Lael Stables owns. pic.twitter.com/bHnCRJJdkN
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 13, 2026
Pedigree Notes:
Disobedient's first foal is Canadian Classic-placed Faber (Improbable), third in both the Breeders' Stakes and Prince of Wales Stakes. Most recently, she produced a colt by Nyquist in 2024 followed by a colt by Constitution last season and was bred back to the WinStar stallion. This represents the extended family of Champion grass mare and multiple Grade I/Group 1-winner Tepin (Bernstein).
With her Delaware Oaks victory, Luv Your Neighbor gives her sire his 41st career graded stakes winner.
Saturday, Delaware Park
DELAWARE OAKS-GIII, $295,000, Delaware, 6-13, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:44.05, ft.
1–LUV YOUR NEIGHBOR, 118, f, 3, by Constitution
1st Dam: Disobedient, by Into Mischief
2nd Dam: Sca Doodle, by Scat Daddy
3rd Dam: Bubbly Baily, by Dixie Union
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($350,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Lael Stables; B-Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. & 552727 Ontario LTD. (ON); T-Michael Stidham; J-Luis Saez. $155,000. Lifetime Record: 9-2-5-1, $474,271. *1/2 to Faber (Improbable), SP-USA, MSP-Can, $196,429. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Jumping the Gun, 118, f, 3, Gun Runner–Breaking Bread, by Quality Road. O-Imaginary Stables; B-John Guarnere (KY); T-Andrew L. Simoff. $55,000.
3–Dazzling Dame, 120, f, 3, Girvin–Awesome Dama, by Corinthian. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($50,000 RNA Wlg '23 KEENOV; $65,000 Ylg '24 OBSWIN; $45,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR). O-Respect the Valleys, LLC, Medallion Racing and Madaket Stables, LLC; B-Maria M. Haire (MD); T-Brittany T. Russell. $32,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2, 8 1/4. Odds: 2.40, 5.60, 1.60.
Also Ran: Majestic Lucia, Pashmina, Tahlequah, Savor It. Scratched: Miss Fulton Gal, Sneaky Good.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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