Delaware Park adds juvenile stakes, schedule worth $5.3 million

Delaware Park adds juvenile stakes, schedule worth $5.3

million

The $1 million Delaware H. (G2) highlights the $5.3 million stakes program at

Delaware Park in 2008. Two new juvenile turf stakes, the Go for the Green and

Fairway Fillies, have been added to the stakes schedule. Both races will be

worth $100,000 and will be decided at 1 1/16 miles. The Go for the Green was

specifically designed to act as a prep for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

The Delaware Handicap, a mile and a quarter event for fillies and mares,

will be the highlight of the $2.5 million Delaware Handicap Festival of Racing,

which will take place on the weekend of July 12-13. The 71st renewal of the

Delaware Handicap will be run on Sunday, July 13. The supporting features on the

Delaware Handicap Day card are the $300,000 Barbaro S. (G3), the $200,000 Caesar

Rodney S. and the $100,000 Light Hearted S.

The 1 1/16-mile Barbaro, formerly named the Leonard Richards, honors the 2006

Kentucky Derby (G1) winner who notched his maiden victory at Delaware Park in

his career debut in October of 2005.

On Saturday, July 12, three-year-old fillies will take center stage in the

58th renewal of the 1 1/16-mile, $500,000 Delaware Oaks (G2). The supporting

features on the Delaware Oaks Day card are the $250,000 Robert G. Dick Breeders'

Cup S. (G3) and the $100,000 R.R.M. Carpenter Jr. S.

Both the Delaware Handicap and Oaks have a long and prestigious tradition.

Previous champions of the Delaware Handicap include Jameela, the dam of

Gulch; Relaxing, the dam of Easy Goer; Likely Exchange, the dam of Creme

Fraiche; Late Bloomer, the dam of Fred Astaire; Susan's Girl, the dam of

Copelan; Obeah, the dam of Go for Wand; Princess Turia, the dam of Forward Pass;

Flower Bowl, the dam of Graustark and His Majesty; and Busanda, the dam of

Buckpasser. Last year, the Delaware Handicap was won by Team Valor's

Unbridled Belle (Broken Vow) with top local rider Ramon Dominguez astride.

Previous winners of the Delaware Oaks include Hall of Fame fillies Desert

Vixen, Gallant Bloom, Dark Mirage, and Gallorette. Last year, the Delaware Oaks

was won by CJZ Racing Stable and Tim Ritchey's Moon Catcher (Malibu Moon).

Other significant changes in the 2008 stakes schedule include the upgrade to

Grade 3 status of the Robert G. Dick and the Obeah S. The Obeah, the local prep

for the Delaware Handicap, has received a $50,000 purse increase, making the 1

1/8-mile event worth $150,000. The date and distance of the $100,000 Kelso S.

has been changed to August 23 and the race has been lengthened to 1 1/2 miles,

making it a better fit on the calendar as a prep for the Breeders' Cup Marathon.

The Small Wonder S. and the First State Dash S., both restricted to

Delaware-certified juveniles, have been added to the stakes schedule. Both races

are at the distance of five furlongs on the turf and have a purse of $75,000.

They will be decided on September 27.

Opening day for the 2008 Delaware Park season is April 19. The 136-date meet

continues through November 11.