GII $500K Delaware Handicap Kicks Off Stakes

Idiomatic scoring the 2023 Delaware Handicap by a head over Classy Edition. (Hoofprints Inc.) 

Delaware Park News & Notes

WILMINGTON, Del.—The $500,000 Grade II Delaware Handicap highlights the $2.75 million stakes schedule at Delaware Park this season. For the first time since 2009, the filly and mare summer classic will be run on a Sunday, July 7th, as part of a special festival weekend of racing featuring multiple stakes.

The supporting features on the Delaware Handicap Day card will be the $250,000 Grade III Robert G. Dick Memorial, the $175,000 Battery Park and the $125,000 Dashing Beauty. The Saturday, July 6^thcard will feature the $300,000 Grade III Delaware Oaks. The Oaks Day undercard will be supported by the $150,000 Kent, the $150,000 Christiana and the $125,000 Alapocas Run. 

Last year, Juddmonte’s brilliant filly Idiomatic, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, won the Delaware Handicap. This win was part of a campaign that concluded with a victory in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Park before being crowned the Older Dirt Female Champion of 2023.

“We caught a star rising in a division, which at the time, was looking for a leader,” said Director of Racing Jerome “Jed” Doro. “Some years timing and divisional variables benefit a race and other years; they can work against a race. Last year, they worked in our favor. The constant is the tradition of the Delaware Handicap and Idiomatic is another proud addition in a race rich in history.” 

The 32^nd Owners’ Day, showcasing the best of the best in Delaware racing, is slated for Saturday, September 14^th. The day will feature the $100,000 George Rosenberger Memorial Starter Allowance, the $100,000 DTHA Governor’s Day Starter Allowance, which are both restricted to horses who have started at Delaware Park in 2024 (stakes races excluded), the Robert W. Camac Memorial overnight and the Rich Glazier Turf Classic overnight.

Opening day is Wednesday, May 15^th and the 75-day meet is scheduled to conclude on Saturday, October 12th.

Live racing will be conducted on a Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday weekly format for most of the 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.

2024 STAKES SCHEDULE