Delaware Handicap tops 81-day meet

There will be 81 days of racing during Delaware Park’s 81st season, which begins Wednesday afternoon with a nine-race card.

The scenic facility, which has one of the most beautiful paddock areas in North America, will race on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday schedule with a 1:15 p.m. Eastern first post.

There are some additions and subtractions for this year’s meet.

The track’s signature race, the $750,000 Delaware Handicap, has been somewhat harshly lowered from a Grade 1 to a Grade 2.

In last year’s running of the 1 1/4-mile race for fillies and mares, champion Songbird, in the second-to-last start of her brilliant career for Delaware resident Rick Porter, bravely held off Martini Glass to win by a length. Martini Glass has since gone on to win the Grade 2 Azeri at Oaklawn Park, the Grade 3 Royal Delta at Gulfstream Park, and most recently was third in the Grade 1 La Troienne at Churchill Downs.

In 2016, the Del Cap was won by locally based I’m a Chatterbox, who concluded her career with four Grade 1 victories.

Although field size was short both years, that usually is the case when you attract horses the magnitude of Songbird and I’m a Chatterbox.

The Del Cap will headline a four-stakes card on July 14, and will be supported by the Grade 3, $200,000 Kent Stakes.

The Grade 3, $300,000 Delaware Oaks will be run a week prior to the Del Cap. That four-stakes card will include the Grade 3, $200,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial.

The third biggest day of the season is Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Owner’s Day on Sept. 29, when seven stakes worth a total of $650,000 will be held.

Two of the stakes at Delaware are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships.

The Dashing Beauty, on the Oaks undercard, is the third leg of the fillies and mares dirt sprint division of the MATCH series. The Hockessin (Ho-kess-in), on the Del Cap undercard, is the third leg of the 3-year-olds and up dirt sprint division.

In all, 22 stakes worth more than $2.7 million are scheduled during the meet.

Mario Pino and Jeremy Rose will be rejoining the Delaware riding colony.

Pino, the 10th leading jockey in North American history with 6,860 wins, will ride regularly at Delaware for the first time since 2008. In recent summers, the 56-year-old Delaware native has ridden with success at Presque Isle Downs.

Rose, 39, is a two-time leading rider at Delaware. This will be the first time since 2012 he has ridden locally.

The jockey colony also will include Carol Cedeno, the leading rider at Delaware from 2014 to 2016. Cedeno finished second to Scott Spieth in last year’s standings. Spieth is currently riding at Presque Isle Downs.

Jamie Ness and Scott Lake, who tied for leading trainer a year ago, are both back. Ness has won five Delaware titles since 2012.

Lake has more than 1,000 wins at Delaware and has won or finished second in the standings 13 times since 2000.

Delaware has lost trainers Larry Jones and Keith Nations this year. Jones, who for years has had one of the most high-profile stables on the grounds and trained I’m a Chatterbox, is staying in Kentucky for the summer.

Nations, who trains Martini Glass, is now based at Monmouth Park.

Delaware will have a baseball cap giveaway this Saturday, which also is Family Fun Day. Family friendly activities are scheduled at The Grove, a picnic area located outside the clubhouse turn.

The nine-race opening-day card will offer purses of $137,000 and will be topped by a $40,000 starter allowance.

G Zap, trained by Parx-based Butch Reid, looks to be the horse to beat. Alex Cintron, who recently resumed riding following an injury layoff, has the mount.

Nico Bree N Teej, who is based at Laurel Park with Claudio Gonzalez, also is a top contender. Jomar Torres will be in to ride.