Whereshetoldmetogo loves Delaware Park. The Brittany Russell trainee has never been worse than second in seven starts at the Wilmington-area track, four of them stakes. His most recent victory, the $100,000 New Castle Stakes for Delaware-bred or certified runners on Saturday, Sept. 25 at Delaware Park on the Owners’ Day program, was one of his most exciting yet in a career of exciting finishes.

Last year the striking chestnut son of El Padrino crossed the wire first in the New Castle, only to be disqualified to second when lugging in down the stretch. This year he came running late down the middle of the track and Jevian Toledo made sure he stayed straight, and they got up in time to win by a neck. A total of two lengths separated the six-horse field.

Whereshetoldmetogo raced in fourth alongside Indian Lake as Threes Over Deuces, last year’s official winner, led the field through an opening quarter-mile in :22.97. Whereshetoldmetogo advanced on the outside as they came around the far turn and dug in as the six-horse field fanned across the track and sprinted to the wire. Outlasting a late run from Aspect, Whereshetoldmetogo finished the six-furlong test in 1:09.09. Threes Over Deuces was third, a head behind Aspect.

Madaket Stables LLC, Ten Strike Racing, Michael E. Kisber and BTR Racing Inc. race the 6-year-old gelding, who notched his third stakes victory of the year, and second at Delaware Park. He won the Not For Love at Laurel Park in March and scored by four lengths in Delaware Park’s Alapocas Run in July.

Whereshetoldmetogo is now a nine-time stakes winner, and graded stakes-placed when second after his notorious stretch run in Parx Racing’s Gallant Bob Stakes-G3 in 2018 where he tried to savage Firenze Fire and was beaten a neck. He holds a record of 12-5-3 from 30 career starts, with $699,791 earned.

Purchased by Black Cloud Racing (Mark Esposito) as a yearling for $7,000 out of the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall sale, he made his first 14 starts for Esposito and trainer Anthony Pecoraro. Winning his debut as a 2-year-old in 2017 at Delaware, Whereshetoldmetogo continued his success that year with his first stakes victory in the track’s First State Dash, and was second in Gulfstream Park’s Smooth Air Stakes to complete his season. The next year he picked up wins in the American Fabius, Concern and Star de Naskra Stakes.

It was after the Star de Naskra that Esposito sold a majority interest to a group led by Madaket Stables, which included Ten Strike Racing and Michael E. Kisber. The Gallant Bob was the first race for his new connections.

Transferred to the barn of trainer Brad Cox in 2019, he made four starts, with his best runs an allowance victory at Churchill Downs and a third-place finish in the Thanksgiving Classic Stakes at Fair Grounds that November. After an eight-month hiatus, Whereshetoldmetogo returned in July 2020 to finish third in the Iowa Sprint Stakes at Prairie Meadows. Transferred from Cox to Russell, he finished his year with back-to-back victories in the Frank Y. Whiteley Stakes and Dave’s Friend Stakes.

Bred by David H. Wade, Whereshetoldmetogo is the fifth winner from six starters for his dam Undisputed Legend, a daughter of Domestic Dispute who has produced nine foals, the most recent a Mendelssohn colt in February. She was bred back to Vekoma for 2022.