Delaware Park Ready for Lucrative Racing Season

Delaware 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.

The Legal Light, named after the winner of the first race ever run at the Delaware track, is for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. Among those entered are undefeated Belong to Sea and stakes winners Elegant Designer and House Party.

Delaware Park will race on Saturday-through-Wednesday schedule, with first post at 12:45 p.m. (ET). Along with Thoroughbred racing, there will be the usual overnight and stakes events for Arabians. The season extends through Nov. 9.

The DelCap, for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles, is one of three stakes on July 20. The others are the $250,000 Kent Breeders' Cup Stakes, a grade III event for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on the turf, and the $100,000 Light Hearted Stakes for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, at six furlongs. The day before, the $500,000 Delaware Oaks, a grade III event for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, highlights a three-stakes program on the track's top weekend.

The Delaware Park NATC Futurity and the Delaware Park NATC Sorority, for 2-year-olds and 2-year-old fillies, respectively, at six furlongs, are scheduled for Aug. 30. Each stakes will go for $200,000 to $300,000 depending on nominations. The races are sponsored by the Florida-based National Association of Two-Year-Old Consignors.

In Delaware, where racetracks have video lottery terminals, 10% of the revenue goes to horsemen. A sampling of purses on opening day shows a maiden special weight event with a $36,000 purse, and an open $50,000 claiming test with a $38,000 purse.

Among the jockeys listed to ride on the opening-day program are Delaware Park regulars Anthony Black, Ramon Dominguez, Ryan Fogelsonger, Clinton Potts, and Jeremy Rose.