Regaled poised for another celebration in Delaware Handicap

In her third start for Whit Beckman last year, Regaled romped home by 6 1/4 lengths in the Grade 3 Delaware Handicap, relishing the muddy track in a breakout victory. The rain fell a little too hard last weekend, leading to this year’s edition being pushed back, but the 5-year-old mare will make her belated return to Delaware Park as a strong contender on Saturday.

“We were fortunate to have won it last year,” Beckman said last week. “She does need a little bit of pace, but I think there, if anywhere, it doesn’t seem like it’s as important.”

Racing at Delaware last Saturday was canceled because of an incoming nor’easter, which hit much of the East Coast with heavy rain and high winds. The 10-race card, which also includes the $200,000 Battery Park and two $150,000 stakes for juveniles, was moved in its entirety to this Saturday.

Though Regaled has not won a race since her last trip to Delaware, she has undoubtedly put together a tidy résumé in her last six starts. In November, she went off at 30-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and rallied for a distant third behind Scylla, finishing just a half-length behind eventual 3-year-old champion Nitrogen.

Though she has not been quite as competitive in two races on fast tracks this year, the mare caught sloppy tracks and fared much better in the Grade 2 Azeri in March and Grade 2 Fleur de Lis in June, finishing second by three-quarters of a length in both starts. She comes back to Delaware off a three-month layoff.

Beckman also entered Angel Bella, who will scratch, shortening the field to 10 fillies and mares.

Two fillies in this year’s Delaware Handicap are coming out of the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar, though they achieved vastly different results on the West Coast.

Eunomia, who was making her first start off a nearly three-month break, pressed the pace in a three-way battle for the lead that day and dug in to score a 12-1 upset in her Grade 1 debut. That breakthrough could make her the favorite Saturday.

“It was obviously a good race to win,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “She got a Grade 1 on her résumé, and coming back here, this race is just as competitive. It’s a very good renewal of the Delaware Handicap, and hopefully she can run good again.”

Chasten, the 6 1/4-length winner of the $150,000 Obeah at Delaware in June, went off as the 9-2 third choice in the Clement Hirsch for Brad Cox, but she never seriously challenged and finished sixth.

“That didn’t work out,” Cox said last week. “She handled Delaware in the Obeah. She’s handled shipping before. Just for whatever reason, Del Mar was not her thing.”

Cox also entered Margie’s Intention, who finished second in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks in June 2025. She most recently finished fifth in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga.

Nerazurri, a consistent filly trained by Mark Casse, also is coming out of the Personal Ensign, having finished a distant third behind Fully Subscribed. She came closest to a graded stakes victory in February, when she finished 2 3/4 lengths behind Nitrogen in the Grade 3 Bayakoa.