Trainer Ned Allard knew he was getting a proven, accomplished sprinter when owners Stonehedge LLC sent Dean Delivers to his Delaware Park base from Florida this spring.

What he didn’t anticipate was that the 5-year-old gelded son of Cajun Breeze would rip off three consecutive stakes victories following the change in scenery.

Sunday, Dean Delivers will try for a fourth straight stakes win – and second this year at Monmouth Park – when he faces a speed-filled field of six rivals, 3 and up, in the $100,000 Rumson Stakes.

The five-furlong Rumson headlines a 10-race card.

“He’s always been a nice horse,” said Allard. “He seemed to tail off a little bit going into the summer in Florida. It looked like he needed a little freshening up, which he got on the farm. The owners decided to send him to me for the cooler weather.

“After he was here for a short period of time he completely turned around.”

Previously trained by Bo Yates, Dean Delivers romped to a six-length win in the Mr. Prospector Stakes on May 27 at Monmouth Park in his first start for Allard. That was off a two-month layoff.

An easy win in the Alapocas Run Stakes at Delaware followed before a victory in the Frank DeFrancis Memorial Dash at Laurel on July 28.

Overall, Dean Delivers has an 8-8-2 line with $727,660 in earnings from 24 career starts.

“If a nice horse is comfortable with the weather I think they are a lot better,” said Allard. “Bo Yates did a wonderful job with that horse and earned plenty of money with him. But the horse needed a cooler atmosphere, which he got up here. It has really made a difference.

“He has really come into himself. He’s been sharp the whole time I’ve had him and he has run the same way all three races for me.”

The difference Sunday is that the Rumson Stakes is brimming with speed, from Hurricane J to Five Dreams to Chuck Willis to Downtownchalybrown to Jersey-bred Speaking, a multiple stakes winner in state-bred company for trainer Eddie Owens, Jr.

Dean Delivers, bred in Florida, also has speed, but Allard said he does not necessarily have to be on the lead. He has enlisted Jamie Rodriguez to ride.

“I wish I was smart enough to predict how the race will play out with all of that speed and where he fits, but with a rider like Jamie Rodriguez he’ll figure it out when he breaks,” said Allard. “He’s a very fast horse but he does not have to be in front. He can run either way. Jamie will use his judgment.”

A graded stakes winner (he won the Grade 3 Smile Sprint at Gulfstream last summer), Dean Delivers was third in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga a year ago as well.

He has run Beyer Speed Figures in the upper 90s in all three of his starts for Allard.

“He has done everything very well since he has been with me,” he said. “He has been really sharp lately so I expect a good effort from him on Sunday. He is coming into this race super.”