Sparkle Blue (Hard Spun – Silk n’ Sapphire, by Smart Strike) survived a lengthy inquiry to win the $100,000 Christiana Stakes on the turf at Delaware Park this afternoon. The 3-year-old filly was ridden by multiple graded stakes and Eclipse Award winning jockey Jeremy Rose, who has recently resumed riding races after several years away from the industry. The Christiana was his first stakes win since his return.  Never worse than third in the seven-horse field, the pair wore down a tough Tasweya and Andrew Wolfsont to score by a half-length.

A half-sister to Breeders’ Cup winner Shared Account, Sparkle Blue was bred in Kentucky by Catherine Parke. She is owned jointly by her breeder and George Strawbridge, Jr.’s Augustin Stable.

Congratulations to all on her first stakes victory.