Delaware Park 87th Season, 75 Days of Live Racing 

Racing gets underway at Delaware Park. (Hoofprints Inc.)

Delaware Park News & Notes

WILMINGTON, Del.—The Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC) approved the 2024 Delaware Park live racing dates today.

The 87^th live racing season will feature 75 days beginning on Wednesday, May 15^th and concluding on Saturday, October 12^th. 

“We want to carry the positive momentum established last year into this upcoming season,” said Chief Financial Officer Kevin DeLucia. “The horsemen, commission and management have continued working together to ensure competitive, fair and safe racing. We have also been aggressively expanding our wagering menu and finding the right niches to make our signal attractive on the national landscape. It will be challenging to keep moving the needle in a positive direction in the highly competitive Mid-Atlantic market, but our team is eager for the opportunity.”      

Total live racing handle increased 7.0%, to $152.3 million for the 85-day meet in 2023 from $142.3 million for the 87-day meet in 2022. The daily average handle increased 9.6%, to $1.8 million in 2023 from $1.6 million in 2022. Average starters per race nearly remained the same. In 2023, average starters per race was 6.82 compared to 6.83 in 2022.

Live racing will be conducted on a Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday weekly format for most of the 2024 meet. Nine Friday cards will be added to the schedule on the following dates: June 7^th, June 14^th, August 2^nd, August 9^th, September 13^th, September 20^th, September 27^th, October 4^th and October 11^th. Live racing is not scheduled on Thursday, July 11^th. Daily first race post time is set for 12:30 p.m. 

For the first time since 2009, the Delaware Handicap will be run on a Sunday. As a part of a festival weekend of racing featuring multiple stakes, the $500,000 Grade II filly and mare classic will be run on a special Sunday, July 7^th card. The $300,000 Grade III Delaware Oaks will be run Saturday, July 6^th.