Rematch in the Del ‘Cap

Frivolous (Empire Maker) and Sheer Drama (Burning Roma), one-two last time in Churchill’s GII Fleur de Lis H. June 13, square off again Saturday afternoon in the GI Delaware H. G. Watts Humphrey, Jr. homebred Frivolous ended last season with a 19-1 upset in the GII Falls City H. under the Twin Spires in November, but finished last of six behind Fortune Pearl (Mineshaft) in a Keeneland optional claimer Apr. 4, and checked in at the back of the pack once again in the GI La Troienne S. back in Louisville May 1 before turning things around in the Fleur de Lis. Frivolous will look to follow in the hoofsteps of another daughter of Empire Maker–future Hall of Famer Royal Delta–who used the Fleur de Lis as a springboard to Delaware H. glory in both 2012 and 2013.

Sheer Drama, favored at 2-1 on the morning line, aired by 6 1/2 lengths in Gulfstream’s GII Royal Delta S. Mar. 21 over next-out graded winners House Rules (Distorted Humor) and Molly Morgan (Ghostzapper), checking in second behind the latter in the La Troienne. She has finished off the board just twice from 13 tries on conventional dirt, and was second on debut here in 2013.

America (A.P. Indy) was seventh in the La Troienne and fifth in the Fleur de Lis. The aforementioned Fortune Pearl defeated Joint Return (Include) in the GII Delaware Oaks here some 53 weeks ago before finishing a decent fourth in Saratoga’s GI Alabama S. Aug. 16. After taking that Keeneland allowance in her 4-year-old debut, she was seventh in Pimlico’s GIII Allaire du Pont Distaff S. May 15 and fourth in the local GIII Obeah S. June 20–two spots behind Joint Return.

Last year’s GI Ashland S. dead-heat winner Rosalind (Broken Vow) scratched from last Saturday’s grassy GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial S. in favor of this. She snapped a six-race winless skein in Belmont’s GII Sheepshead Bay S. over 1 3/8 miles of turf May 2, and was fourth behind Wedding Toast (Street Sense), champion Untapable (Street Sense) and House Rules in the GI Ogden Phipps S. June 6.