The Kent Stakes has been carded as the eighth race with an approximate post time of 4:24 p.m.
In the 11/8-mile $150,000 Hall of Fame Stakes on the Saratoga lawn on August 13, Interactif, the 4-to-5 favorite, prevailed by a nose over Grand Rapport, who was sent off at odds of 9-to-1.
Trainer Gary Contessa is excited about Grand Rapport and he is looking forward to a rematch with Interactif.
"He is training fantastic and the race he ran at Saratoga was outstanding," said Grand Rapport's trainer Gary Contessa. "I mean, I think he could have won that race. He won the race one jump before the wire and one jump after the wire; he just got nailed right on the wire. He probably should have won the Hall of Fame, but that is racing."
In his only other start this year, Grand Rapport won a mile and one eighth turf allowance at Monmouth Park on July 16.
Last year, after breaking his maiden in his career debut on the dirt at Saratoga, the Kentucky-bred was unplaced in both the Grade II Futurity at Belmont and the Grade II Remsen at Aqueduct. He has a career record of two wins and a second from five starts with earnings of $112,139. Ramon Dominguez, a five-time Delaware Park leading jockey (2003 through 2006 and 2008), will be returning to Delaware Park for the first time this season for the mount.
The likely favorite, Interactif, will bring a career record of four wins, three seconds and a third from 11 starts with earnings of $563,350 into the Kent Stakes. His victory in the Hall of Fame Stakes was his first of the year. Previously, the son of Broken Vow ran second beaten 1 ½-length in the mile and a quarter Grade II Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs. Last year, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Todd Pletcher won the Grade III With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga and the Grade III Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland before closing his 2-year-old campaign by finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita.
