Dazzling Move Headlines Sunday’s Del ‘Cap 

Honor D Lady winning the 2024 Delaware Handicap. (Hoofprint Photo)

Part of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series Race for the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff

Delaware Handicap News & Notes

WILMINGTON, Del.— Miller Racing’s Dazzling Move tops a field of seven entered in the 88^th running of the $400,000 Grade III Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park this Sunday. The mile and eighth classic for fillies and mares has been carded as the eighth race with an approximate post time of 4:46 p.m. 

The Delaware Handicap has been selected as a Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series Race for the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff on November 1 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. The winner will receive a credit for $30,000 toward entry fees for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, second place will receive $15,000 and third place will receive $7,500.

In her most recent, Dazzling Move ran fifth in the mile and an eighth $500,000 Grade I Personal Ensign at Saratoga on August 23. Previously, the Ontario-bred ran second in the mile and an eighth $200,000 Grade II Shuvee on July 18 and second in the mile and an eighth $500,000 Grade I Ogden Phipps on June 6 which were also both at Saratoga. The 4-year-old daughter of Not this Time has a career record of four wins, four seconds and a third from 20 starts with earnings of $458,359. Her trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. won his first career Delaware Handicap with Honor D Lady last year.

Ribble Farms and Front Page Equestrian’s Regaled will be seeking her first stakes victory after hitting the board in many.

In her last, the 4-year-old daughter of Mohaymen ran third in the mile and a sixteenth $400,000 Grade II Locust Grove at Churchill Downs on September 13. Previously, the Kentucky-bred trained by D. Whitworth Beckman finished second in the one mile $200,000 Groupie Doll Stakes at Ellis Park on August 10. Last year, she ran third in the mile and a sixteenth $300,000 Grade III Delaware Oaks. She has a career record of three wins, two seconds, and three thirds from 16 starts with earnings of $258,810.

“We are wheeling her back on pretty short rest after the Locust Grove, but she is training well and this is a good opportunity,” said trainer D. Whitworth Beckman. “She is a consistent filly who runs her race every time. She ran well in the Delaware Oaks last year, so we are expecting her to be competitive this Sunday.”

Medallion Racing, Evan Trommer, Agave Racing Stable, Sublime Stables and Janet Kropp’s Majestic Oops has gotten better with age. The 5-year-old daughter of Majestic Harbor has a career record of seven wins, 11 seconds and four thirds from 31 starts with earnings of $596,559, but this year she has put it all together. So far in 2025, the California-bred trained by Dan Ward has notched three wins, three seconds and a third from nine starts including victories in the $200,000 Dig A Diamond Stakes at Oaklawn Park and the $100,000 Lady’s Secret at Monmouth. She also ran second in the $500,000 Grade III Molly Pitcher at Monmouth and in her most recent she finished third in the $500,000 Grade I Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga on August 23.

“She was running really good in western Canada, but the thing is she never won a race worth more than $24,000 to the winner, so when we got her at Oaklawn, she qualified for many allowance conditions there,” said trainer Dan Ward, who as the assistant trainer for Jerry Hollendorfer won the Delaware Handicap three times with Hysterical Lady in 2008, Blind Luck in 2011 and Songbird in 2017. “She ran some good races, but when she won the allowance in early April, she got some confidence and just kept getting better and better. Once she became comfortable with sitting off the pace and being relaxed, it made a big difference. When she stepped into stakes competition, those were legit races because she gave some really nice fillies and mares weight and still ran well, so she showed she is not a fluke. We are entered in the Beldame also, so we are going to take a look at both and pick the best spot for her.”

Baron Stable and WinStar Farm’s Margie’s Intention would be the first 3-year-old to win the Delaware Handicap since Our Mims defeated Mississippi Mud in 1977. In her last, Margie’s Intention ran third in mile and a quarter $600,000 Alabama at Saratoga. Previously, the Louisiana-bred trained by Brad Cox, who won his only Delaware Handicap in 2023 with Idiomatic, ran second in the mile and a sixteenth $300,000 Grade III Delaware Oaks on June 14.  She has a career record of three wins, three seconds and a third from eight starts with earnings of $421,880. She is attempting to be the first to run in the Delaware Oaks and win the Delaware Handicap in the same year since Grecian Queen ran third in the Delaware Oaks before winning the Delaware Handicap as part of her 3-year-old champion filly campaign in 1953. 

Majestic Opps, Margie’s Intention, and Gun Song are cross entered in the $250,000 Grade II Beldame at Belmont at Big A on Friday.

$400,000 Grade III Delaware Handicap

For fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up, at a mile and an eighth