They can’t touch this. It’s Hammertime maintained his unbeaten record with a 1 1/2-length victory over a gritty Tony Eclipse in Wednesday’s $125,000 Rocky Run Stakes for 2-year-olds at one mile. Trained by Gary Capuano, who won last year’s Rocky Run with the talented Copper Tax, It’s Hammertime broke well from the far outside post in the seven-horse field and settled just off Tony Eclipse’s outer flank through splits of 24.45, 48.32, and 1:13.15. It’s Hammertime traveled sweetly on the second turn under jockey Julio Hernandez, and they took over turning into the stretch. To his credit, Tony Eclipse tried every step, but It’s Hammertime was too legit. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. He polished off the one-mile distance in 1:39.27 and returned $3.40 as the betting favorite. Baby Dukes was third, 10 1/4 lengths behind the runner-up. Shootersgottashoot, Mo Money Mo Money, Ramiel, and Royal Performance completed the order of finish. Bangkok Bob, Lil Sebastian, and Sacred Thunder scratched. “Around the half-mile, I know I’m loaded,” Hernandez said in a post-race interview broadcast by Delaware Park. “I started to see who’s coming from behind me because I’m thinking that I had the horse on the lead beat. Then, he did exactly what he was supposed to do.” A colt by first-crop sire Vekoma out of the Not For Love stakes-winning mare Steady N Love, It’s Hammertime is a half-brother to stakes-winning dirt router Shackled Love. Bred in Maryland by ZWP Stable and Non Stop Stable, It’s Hammertime is campaigned by Non Stop in partnership with Eagle Up Stables and London Reid Thoroughbreds. An eight-length debut winner of a five-furlong maiden special weight at Delaware, It’s Hammertime then took the restricted First State Dash at six furlongs on Sept. 11 by five lengths. The Rocky Run was his first start around two turns. White Clay Creek Stakes Beautiful Blome gave a strong stretch kick to upset the $125,000 White Clay Creek Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at one mile. The fourth betting choice, Beautiful Blome saved ground in midpack as Not Too Late set fractions of 24.72 and 48.93 seconds. Beautiful Blome angled three wide on the second turn while odds-on favorite Caprice confronted Not Too Late through a three-quarters clocking of 1:14.07. As Not Too Late and Caprice drifted well off the inside turning for home, Beautiful Blome maneuvered back to the fence, and drew off to win by 8 1/4 lengths over Caprice, who was three-quarters better than Not Too Late. Then came Bourbon N Lace, Hollywood Beauty, Polecat, Piggy Tales Up, Synergism, and Nomoretanlines. Trained by Anthony Pecoraro for Charles Blanford and Teresa Haupt, Beautiful Blome completed the distance in 1:41.49 and returned $24 to win. It was the 4,001st career victory for jockey Paco Lopez. “That filly is very good,” Lopez said in a post-race interview broadcast by Delaware Park. “Pecoraro told me not to rush her in the gate and to be patient with her and let her make one move. She did it. She gave me a big kick.” Caprice didn’t have a good trip. Unbeaten in her first three starts, all sprints at Delaware, she broke slowly under Jaime Rodriguez, then bumped into a rival passing under the wire the first time. Rodriguez was forced to make a prolonged four-wide move at the half-mile to draw even with Not Too Late, but Caprice then understandably tired from her stressful journey. Blanford bred Beautiful Blome in Maryland, and the Blofeld filly notched her maiden win in her third lifetime start when entered for the $45,000 waiver at Laurel on Aug. 10. She ran third, beaten eighth lengths by Caprice, in Delaware’s restricted Small Wonder at six furlongs on Sept. 11. Pecoraro felt the additional distance would benefit Beautiful Blome and mentioned returning to Maryland for future stakes opportunities. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.