Ness bringing more horses to Delaware

Trainer Jamie Ness will have an increased presence at the upcoming Delaware Park meet.

Ness, the leading trainer at Delaware Park in 2012 and 2013, finished third in the standings last season behind Juan Vazquez and Scott Lake. Ness had between 25 and 30 horses at Delaware last year but is expected to have closer to 50 when the meet opens May 16.

Ness, 38, is currently based at Tampa Bay Downs, where through Tuesday he led the trainers’ standings with 41 wins, three more than second-place Gerald Bennett.

“We always look forward to Delaware because of the success we have enjoyed there and the atmosphere,” Ness said. “We are still down South, but we are getting excited about moving our outfit back to our summer base.”

Approximately half of Ness’s horses are owned by Midwest Thoroughbreds, the leading owner by wins in North America the last five years.

The dynamic at Delaware Park will be different this meet because Vazquez has not been granted stalls after his stable had several positive tests for the steroid stanazolol and one for the tranquilizer xylazine while he was serving a suspension. Vazquez will be allowed to race at the meet and is based at the Middletown Training Center in Delaware.