Delaware Handicap

The Delaware Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid July at Delaware Park Racetrack in Wilmington, Delaware. The Grade 2 race is open to fillies and mares, age three and up, willing to race one and one-quarter miles on the dirt.

Delaware Handicap

Grade 2 race
Location	Delaware Park Racetrack Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Inaugurated	1937
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	www.delawarepark.com
Race information
Distance	10 Furlongs (​1 ^1⁄4 miles)
Surface	Dirt
Track	left-handed
Qualification	Fillies, Three-years-old and up
Weight	Handicap
Purse	$750,000[1]

The race was inaugurated as the New Castle Handicap as part of the racing schedule with the 1937 opening of Delaware Park Racetrack. In 1953, the new $100,000 purse offered by the New Castle Handicap made it the richest race in the world for fillies and mares.[2] In 1955 it was renamed the Delaware Handicap.

The race was held at Saratoga from 1982 until 1985.

In 2017, champion filly Songbird won as the shortest-priced favorite in the race's history at 1-9 odds. [3]

In 1939, Shangay Lily won the race as a seven year old, and is the oldest winner of the race.

Records

Speed record:

• 1:59.80 - Coup de Fusil (1987) (event and track record for ​1 ¹⁄₄ miles)

Most wins by a horse

• 2 Endine (1958,1959)
• 2 Obeah (1969,1970)
• 2 Blessing Angelica (1971,1972)
• 2 Susan's Girl (1973,1975)
• 2 Nastique (1988,1989)
• 2 Royal Delta (2012,2013)
• 2 Elate (2018,2019)

Most wins by an owner:

• 4 - Christiana Stable (1958, 1959, 1969, 1970)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 4 - Angel Cordero, Jr. (1968, 1974, 1981, 1987)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 4 - Henry S. Clark (1958, 1959, 1969, 1970)
• 4 - Todd A. Pletcher (2001, 2006, 2007, 2010)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2020*	Dunbar Road	4	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Chad Brown	Peter M. Brant	1:49.02
2019	Elate	5	Jose Ortiz	Bill Mott	Claiborne Farm / Adele Dilschneider	2:02.51
2018	Elate	4	Jose Ortiz	Bill Mott	Claiborne Farm / Adele Dilschneider	2:04.83
2017	Songbird	4	Mike Smith	Jerry Hollendorfer	Fox Hill Farms Inc. (Rick Porter)	2:03.96
2016	I'm a Chatterbox	4	Florent Geroux	J. Larry Jones	Fletcher & Carolyn Gray	2:02.64
2015	Sheer Drama	5	Joe Bravo	David Fawkes	Harold L. Queen	2:01.58
2014	Belle Gallantey	5	Jose Ortiz	Rudy R. Rodriguez	Dubb/Bethlehem Stables/Aisquith	2:01.15
2013	Royal Delta	5	Mike Smith	Bill Mott	Besilu Stables	2:02.04
2012	Royal Delta	4	Mike Smith	Bill Mott	Besilu Stables	2:03.51
2011	Blind Luck	4	Garrett Gomez	Jerry Hollendorfer	DeDomenico/Carver/Hollendorfer	2:01.28
2010	Life at Ten	5	John R. Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	Candy DeBartolo	2:03.21
2009	Swift Temper	5	Alan Garcia	Dale L. Romans	Mark H. Stanley	2:03.41
2008	Hystericalady	5	Garrett Gomez	Jerry Hollendorfer	Rancho San Miguel et al.	2:02.37
2007	Unbridled Belle	4	Ramon Dominguez	Todd A. Pletcher	Team Valor Stables LLC	2:01.16
2006	Fleet Indian	5	José A. Santos	Todd A. Pletcher	Paul H. Saylor	2:02.08
2005	Island Sand	4	Jerry D. Bailey	J. Larry Jones	B. A. Man Stable	2:02.89
2004	Summer Wind Dancer	4	Victor Espinoza	Jeff Mullins	R & Y Wira, L. Vetter	2:03.63
2003	Wild Spirit	4	Jerry D. Bailey	Robert J. Frankel	Sumaya Us Stables	2:02.95
2002	Summer Colony	4	John R. Velazquez	Mark A. Hennig	Edward P. Evans	2:04.52
2001	Irving's Baby	4	Ramon Dominguez	Todd A. Pletcher	Anstu Stables, Inc.	2:05.21
2000	Lu Ravi	5	Pat Day	Carl E. Bowman	Yoshio Fujita	2:02.21
1999	Tap to Music	4	Pat Day	Joseph Orseno	Stronach Stables	2:02.15
1998	Amarillo	4	Julie Krone	John H. Forbes	Phantom House Farm	2:04.20
1997	Power Play	5	Larry Reynolds	H. Graham Motion	Robert A. Leonard	2:03.40
1996	Urbane	4	Alex Solis	Randy K. Bradshaw	Samantha Siegel	2:01.80
1995	Night Fax	4	Jeff Carle	William H. Turner Jr.	Audley Farm Stable	2:02.80
1994	With A Wink	4	Richard Migliore	D. Wayne Lukas	Melvin Hatley	2:03.20
1993	Green Darlin	4	Mike Luzzi	Lawrence E. Murray	Sondra D. Bender	2:03.60
1992	Brilliant Brass	5	Edgar Prado	Carlos A. Garcia	Elaine L. Bassford	2:03.00
1991	Crowned	4	Rick Wilson	Benjamin W. Perkins Jr.	Bohemia Stable	2:04.00
1990	Seattle Dawn	4	Robert Colton	Michael Dickinson	Dinwiddie Farm	2:03.00
1989	Nastique	5	Eddie Maple	Stephen L. DiMauro	Chaus Stable (Bernard Chaus)	2:01.20
1988	Nastique	4	Eddie Maple	Stephen L. DiMauro	Chaus Stable (Bernard Chaus)	2:07.60
1987	Coup de Fusil	5	Angel Cordero Jr.	Jan H. Nerud	Tartan Stable	1:59.80
1986	Shocker T	4	Gene St. Leon	George Gianos	Thomasina Caporella	2:02.20
1985	Basie	4	Jean Cruguet	Flint S. Schulhofer	Frances A. Genter	2:02.00
1984	Adored	4	Laffit Pincay Jr.	Laz Barrera	Ethel D. Jacobs	2:03.20
1983	May Day Eighty	4	Jacinto Vasquez	David A. Whiteley	Calumet Farm	2:03.20
1982	Jameela	6	Jack Kaenel	Hyman Ravich	Peter M. Brant	2:02.60
1981	Relaxing	5	Angel Cordero Jr.	Angel Penna Sr.	Ogden Phipps	2:01.00
1980	Heavenly Ade	4	Jerry D. Bailey	Mary Edens	Adele W. Paxson	2:00.00
1979	Likely Exchange	5	Mark S. Sellers	Thomas H. Stevens	G. Watts Humphrey Jr.	2:03.40
1978	Late Bloomer	4	Jorge Velasquez	John M. Gaver Jr.	Greentree Stable	2:02.20
1977	Our Mims	3	Jorge Velasquez	John M. Veitch	Calumet Farm	2:01.00
1976	Optimistic Gal	3	Eddie Maple	LeRoy Jolley	Diana M. Firestone	2:01.00
1975	Susan's Girl	6	Ray Broussard	Ross Finstermaker	Fred W. Hooper	2:01.80
1974	Krislin	5	Angel Cordero Jr.	Stephen A. DiMauro	Harold I. Snyder	2:01.60
1973	Susan's Girl	4	Laffit Pincay Jr.	John W. Russell	Fred W. Hooper	2:01.80
1972	Blessing Angelica	4	Eddie Belmonte	H. Allen Jerkens	Hobeau Farm	2:00.60
1971	Blessing Angelica	3	Jacinto Vasquez	H. Allen Jerkens	Hobeau Farm	2:03.40
1970	Obeah	5	Leroy Moyers	Henry S. Clark	Christiana Stables	2:02.60
1969	Obeah	4	John L. Rotz	Henry S. Clark	Christiana Stables	2:04.20
1968	Politely	5	Angel Cordero Jr.	George M. Baker	Bohemia Stable	2:02.80
1967	Straight Deal II	5	Bobby Ussery	Hirsch Jacobs	Ethel D. Jacobs	2:02.20
1966	Open Fire	5	Frank Lovato	Virgil W. Raines	Brandywine Stable	2:00.40
1965	Steeple Jill	4	John Ruane	Bert Mulholland	George D. Widener Jr.	2:02.80
1964	Old Hat	5	Buck Thornburg	Charles C. Norman	Stanley Conrad	2:04.00
1963	Waltz Song	5	Sheridan Mellon	Thomas F. White	Thomas F. White	2:04.00
1962	Seven Thirty	4	Larry Adams	Bert Mulholland	George D. Widener Jr.	2:02.60
1961	Airmans Guide	4	Howard Grant	Bert B. Williams	Hugh A. Grant	2:02.40
1960	Quill	4	Bobby Ussery	Lucien Laurin	Reginald N. Webster	2:02.40
1959	Endine	5	Paul J. Bailey	Henry S. Clark	Christiana Stable	2:03.60
1958	Endine	4	Eldon Nelson	Henry S. Clark	Christiana Stable	2:03.00
1957	Princess Turia	4	Bill Hartack	Horace A. Jones	Calumet Farm	2:05.00
1956	Flower Bowl	4	Logan Batcheller	Preston M. Burch	Brookmeade Stable	2:03.00
1955	Parlo	4	Eric Guerin	Richard E. Handlen	Foxcatcher Farms	2:02.40
1954	Gainsboro Girl	4	Augustine Catalano	Walter D. Carroll	Shawmut Farm	2:02.60
1953	Grecian Queen	3	Ted Atkinson	James P. Conway	Florence Whitaker	2:02.80
1952	Kiss Me Kate	4	Ronnie Nash	Oscar White	Walter M. Jeffords	2:02.60
1951	Busanda	4	Eric Guerin	Bart Sweeny	Ogden Phipps	2:04.60
1950	Adile	4	John Gilbert	Oscar White	Walter M. Jeffords	1:44.60
1949	Allie's Pal	4	Robert J. Martin	Morrie Sidell	Samuel D. Sidell	1:46.40
1948	Miss Grillo	6	Ira Hanford	Horatio Luro	Mill River Stable	1:49.00
1947	Elpis	5	Arthur F. Skelton	Larney Hansman	William G. Helis	1:46.60
1946	Bridal Flower	3	Abelardo DeLara	James W. Smith	John R. Bradley	1:43.80
1945	Plucky Maud	4	Robert Permane	Oleg Dubassoff	Lazy F Ranch	1:42.60
1944	Everget	3	Arnold Kirkland	Virgil W. Raines	Brandywine Stable	1:44.80
1943	Race not held due to wartime restrictions
1942	Monida	5	Abelardo DeLara	William S. Cotton	Constance Morabito	1:45.60
1941	Dotted Swiss	4	Maurice Peters	Max Hirsch	W. Arnold Hanger	1:49.00
1940	Tedbriar	3	Jimmy Lynch	John Porter Jones	William H. Lipscomb	1:43.80
1939	Shangay Lily	7	Ruperto Donoso	John L. Roberts	William V. McGrath	n/a
1938	Marica	5	Robert Dotter	Howard Wells	Thomas D. Taggart	1:45.60
1937	Rosenna	3	Maurice Peters	Richard E. Handlen	William du Pont Jr.	1:43.80

• Distance = ​1 ¹⁄₈ miles

References

1. "Delaware Handicap Statistics". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
2. "First To Enter Racing Classic". The Morning Herald, Hagerstown, Maryland. 1953-03-25. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
3. "Songbird Holds Fast in Delaware Handicap". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 2017-07-16.

External links

• History of the Delaware Handicap
• New Castle served as Delaware Handicap's predecessor
• Ten Things You Should Know About the Delaware Handicap at Hello Race Fans