When trainer Jorge Delgado looked across the Mid-Atlantic region for a 2-year-old race for Snowhomish to make his career debut, the only option he had was a $25,000 maiden claimer at Delaware Park on July 31,

So he took a chance – knowing that a horse he had high hopes for could be claimed away.

Snowhomish won that race by 8½ lengths. Saturday at Monmouth Park, he will look to become a first-time stakes winner when he takes on eight other 2-year-olds in the $100,000 Sapling Stakes.

“It was one of those situations where you have to try to steal one,” said Delgado. “There’s a limited amount of races for 2-year-olds and I have to spread mine out. I decided to take a chance.

“Of course, as soon he crossed the finish line my first call was to find out if he was claimed. I was very happy when they said no.”

Snowhomish, a Florida-bred son of Rock Your World, would actually be seeking his second career stakes win this weekend if his inexperience didn’t surface in his second start in the Dover Stakes at Delaware Park on Aug. 8, when he crossed the line first but was disqualified to second for contact in the stretch.

“I think it was a combination of things that race,” said Delgado. “During the race it started raining and him being green he was facing something new. He passed the horse (elevated winner Tatters) without any trouble but he came in a little bit and the other jockey (Julio Hernandez) made a good show of it.

“I do believe he was the best horse in the race and that’s the most important thing to me.”

Owned by Tampa Bay Rays co-owner Bill Cosgrove, the Lea Farms homebred will be trying two turns for the first time, but Delgado doesn’t see that as a concern.

He has enlisted veteran Daniel Centeno to ride.

“From the beginning we always thought he would be good going a distance,” he said. “The longer he goes the better for him. He has high energy and he’s fit. He is never tired after a breeze.”

For Delgado, a stakes victory with Snowhomish would add to a solid meet he has had at Monmouth Park with his deep stable of 2-year-olds. The track’s leading trainer a year ago – he currently trails frontrunner Kelly Breen by one winner with five live racing cards remaining – he has won five 2-year-old races at the meet from 18 starters.

Of his 18 freshmen starters at Monmouth Park this summer all but one has gone in maiden special weight company, too.

“We still haven’t race five or six of them,” Delgado said of his 2-year-olds. “We still have the best one (Earth Song, a son of Justify) to go. I believe he will go at Delaware (for his career debut) because there are no more 2-year-old races at Monmouth Park for boys. A lot of my other 2-year-olds will be racing again this weekend and next week.”

Overall, Delgado has had 21 winners from 78 starters at the Monmouth Park meet. When he edged out Chad Brown by one winner for his first training title a year ago, he had 21 winners from 106 starters.