Steve Haskin on the drama and melodrama of the race of the year.
Champion filly has now earned $3,279,520.
In their unfolding battle for supremacy in the national older female rankings, Blind Luck put her nose narrowly in front of Havre de Grace after winning a spellbinding stretch duel in the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II).
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Tom, Evan and James Scully of TwinSpires.com handicap the Delaware Handicap and Virginia Derby. Both notable grade II races this weekend.
Delaware Park will host what could be the matchup of the year so far when Blind Luck and Havre de Grace square off in the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) at 1 1/4 miles July 16.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Garrett Gomez will be at Delaware Park July 16 to ride Blind Luck for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) in a much anticipated clash with division rival Havre de Grace.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Havre de Grace, owned by Richard Porter's Fox Hill Farm, breezed five furlongs in 1:01 July 4 at Delaware Park in preparation for her start in the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) on July 16.
Monday, July 04, 2011
The Obeah Stakes (gr. III) and Delaware Handicap (gr. II) are her immediate goals, but trainer Larry Jones said Havre de Grace could face males this summer and shoot for a Horse of the Year type of campaign.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Life At Ten earned a berth in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I) with her victory July 17 in the Delaware Handicap (gr. II) at Delaware Park.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Candy DeBartolo's Life At Ten, the late-blooming filly who has just begun to hit her best stride, will seek her sixth consecutive victory when she meets five rivals in the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) July 17.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010Delaware Park released its 2010 schedule on Jan. 28, and the 22-race stakes season is highlighted by the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) and the $250,000 Delaware Oaks (gr. II).
Thursday, January 28, 2010Delaware Park will offer 116 days of Thoroughbred racing in 2010. The meet, which runs from May 1 to Nov. 6, is highlighted by the Delaware Oaks (gr. II) and the Delaware Handicap (gr. II).
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Swift Temper dictated the pace for jockey Alan Garcia and kicked away in the stretch to post a surprisingly easy 2 1/4-length upset in the $1-million Delaware Handicap (gr. II) July 19 at Delaware Park.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Jason, Tom, and Rich Nilsen from Twinspires preview the Delaware Handicap (gr. II) at Delaware Park on July 19.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Team Valor International's Unbridled Belle has been simply terrific in her career at Delaware Park, winning five of seven starts at the track including the 2007 Delaware Handicap (gr. II). On July 19, the 6-year-old mare will try to continue her domination when she takes on six rivals in the $1 million event.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009The $1-million Delaware Handicap (gr. II) will be the highlight of a scaled-back $3.175-million stakes program at Delaware Park in 2009, the track announced Jan. 29.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sensational 5-year-old mare Hystericalady added yet another item to her already impressive resume, and in the process insured her return to the Breeders' Cup with a four-length romp in the $1 million Delaware Handicap (gr. II) July 13 at Delaware Park.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Sent off as the longest shot in a five-horse field, Paraneck Stable's Magical Forest broke on top and then outdueled Cherokee Artist in a thrilling stretch duel to capture the $300,000 Barbaro Stakes (gr. III) by a half-length July 13 at Delaware Park.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
A quality field of 11 fillies and mares will do battle in the $1-million Delaware Handicap (gr. II) July 13, but the 10-furlong event may come down to a superstars Hystericalady and Unbridled Belle, who have a combined eight graded stakes victories between them.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The $1-million guaranteed Delaware Handicap (gr. II) highlights a $5.3-million stakes program at Delaware Park in 2008. The 136-day meet runs from April 19-Nov. 11.
Monday, February 18, 2008
All of the betting favorites fell apart, leaving Team Valor's lightly regarded Unbridled Belle to pick up the pieces, and she drew off smartly under Ramon Dominguez to win the $1 million Delaware Handicap (gr. II) for fillies and mares at Delaware Park Sunday.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Indian Vale, winner of seven races in 10 starts, tops a field of nine entered in the $1-million Delaware Handicap (gr. II) for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/4 miles July 15.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007Fleet Indian's victory in the 1 1/4-mile Delaware Handicap (gr. II) was so easy it was hard to believe the field was running for $1 million Sunday at Delaware Park. Ridden by Jose Santos for trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Paul H. Saylor, the brilliant 5-year-old mare galloped to her sixth straight triumph and went over the $1 million earnings mark.
Sunday, July 16, 2006Paul Saylor's Fleet Indian will try to extend her current winning streak to six in the $1,000,000 grade II Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park this Sunday. The 1 1/4-mile test for fillies and mares has attracted a field of 10.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006The Jane duPont Lunger Residual Charitable Trust recently made a $250,000 contribution to Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, which specifically funds equine veterinary research.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005Island Sand, the only grade I winner in the field, stormed past Two Trail Sioux in mid-stretch and registered a powerful victory in Saturday's $1 million Delaware Handicap (gr. II), the richest race in Delaware Park history.
Sunday, July 17, 2005Isola Piu Bella, a three-time stakes winner this year, will take on 11 rivals as the slight 7-2 morning line favorite in Sunday's Delaware Handicap (gr. II).
Thursday, July 14, 2005Though the focus July 17 will be on the first $1-million race in the history of Delaware Park, the afternoon will serve as a proving ground for a new wager proponents hope becomes an industry standard.
Monday, July 11, 2005Delaware Park, which was the early proving ground last season for four probable contenders in the May 7 Kentucky Derby (gr. I)--Afleet Alex, Bellamy Road, Closing Argument, and High Limit--will offer its first $1-million race during a 135-day meet that kicked off April 30.
Thursday, April 28, 2005Even-money choice Summer Wind Dancer and jockey Victor Espinoza needed nearly all of the 1 1/4-mile Delaware Handicap (gr. II) to overtake front-running Roar Emotion by 1 1/4 lengths Sunday at sloppy Delaware Park.
Sunday, July 18, 2004California shipper Summer Wind Dancer, scratched from Sunday's Milady Handicap (gr. I) at Hollywood Park, tops a field of ten entered in the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) at Delaware Park Sunday.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004Puglisi Stable's Misty Sixes established herself as one of the early favorites for the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) July 18 with an authoritative 2 1/2-length victory Saturday in the $100,000 Obeah Handicap for fillies and mares.
Saturday, June 19, 2004Edward P. Evans' Summer Colony will attempt to become the fifth back-to-back winner of the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) Sunday when she faces seven foes in the 66th renewal of the filly and mare classic at Delaware Park.
Wednesday, July 16, 2003Richard Englander's Devon Rose raced herself into the Delaware Handicap (gr. II) with an impressive score in the $100,000 Obeah Handicap for fillies and mares at Delaware Park Saturday.
Saturday, June 21, 2003Delaware Park will kick off its more than six-month racing season April 26 with the $75,000 Legal Light Stakes, one of 30 major events on the stakes calendar. The highlight is the $750,000 Delaware Handicap, a grade II race set for July 20.
Tuesday, April 22, 2003Edward P. Evans' Summer Colony stages a strong rally late to win the rich Delaware Handicap.
Sunday, July 21, 2002A field of 10 fillies and mares will contest the $600,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. III) at 1 1/4 miles Sunday at Delaware Park. The Edward P. Evans entry of Summer Colony and Unrestrained has been installed the 8/5 favorite.
Friday, July 19, 2002The $600,000-guaranteed grade III Delaware Handicap highlights the $4.4 million (including Breeders' Cup and NATC funds) stakes schedule at Delaware Park this year.
Friday, March 01, 2002Anstu Stables' homebred Irving's Baby set moderate fractions, then drew away in the stretch to upset the field in Sunday's $600,300 Delaware Handicap (gr. III) at Delaware Park.
Sunday, July 22, 2001Secret Status, winner of the 2000 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), heads a long list of nominees to the July 22 $600,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. III) for fillies and mares. The Del 'Cap will be run across 10 furlongs and headlines the Del 'Cap Festival that includes the grade III Kent Breeders' Cup and the grade III Delaware Oaks.
Friday, July 13, 2001Secret Status, an allowance winner at Keeneland in her first start after a layoff, is slated to contest the July 22 Delaware Handicap (gr. III) at Delaware Park.
Tuesday, July 10, 2001Fujita Yoshio's 5-year-old mare Lu Ravi won Sunday's $600,900 Delaware Handicap by a length over 1999 Delaware Handicap winner Tap To Music.
Sunday, July 23, 2000
Copyright © 2012 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.
