This year's stakes schedule, anchored by the GII $500,000 Delaware H., offers 12 added-money events worth $2.25 million. Additionally, all stakes races will be run Lasix-free this year.

The Delaware H., which had been contested at 1 1/4 miles every year since 1951 with the exception of 2020 when it was shortened to nine furlongs during the Covid-19 pandemic, will be contested a mile and three-sixteenths this year. Before 1951 it was contested at a mile and a sixteenth.

“It has become increasingly more difficult to consistently attract the top contenders in the filly and mare division with the race at a mile and a quarter, but we also want to be respectful of the distance aspect of the tradition as much as possible,” Delaware Park Director of Racing Jerome “Jed” Doro said. “We are hoping a sixteenth of a mile less will encourage more of the top contenders in the division to come while still keeping the race attractive to those who want a little more ground.”

Other notable stakes offered during the 2023 season include the GIII $300,000 Delaware Oaks and GIII $250,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial S., both set to be contested July 1.

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Miss Marissa, trained by Jim Ryerson, was a last-out third in the Grade 2 Beldame on October 10 at Belmont where she finished behind the victorious Royal Flag and Horologist, both of whom are entered in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff.

When Miss Marissa captured the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on July 10, it prompted Ryerson to try the 4-year-old daughter of He's Had Enough in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign seven weeks later at Saratoga, where she finished a distant eighth.

Ryerson said a good effort by Miss Marissa on Saturday would result in a start in the Grade 3, $250,000 Go for Wand on Dec. 4 at Aqueduct.

“I thought she battled well to try and be second in the Beldame and ran really well that day,” Ryerson said. “Hopefully, we can do well and then go to the Go for Wand from there going a flat mile. We made our mark going a little further than that, but it's in our backyard.”

Miss Marissa shipped to Pimlico Race Course to capture the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan last October. Ryerson said Miss Marissa has developed well into her 4-year-old season.

“Going from three to four, you like to see them get a little stronger, faster and have some more maturity in them,” Ryerson said. “I think she's done that. They don't always do that. We'll see how we finish the year and see what Mr. [Alfonso] Cammarota wants to do with her next year. Hopefully, we can finish the year well. She's sound and if she races well finishing up this year, I think he'll plan to race her.”

Ryerson said Miss Marissa, who has won over five different ovals, gets a lot out of her training at Belmont.

“The one thing that I've noticed is that she really likes to train here,” Ryerson said. “I was a little disappointed with how she trained at Saratoga and to have the results we had, but we've gone out of here and run a number of places and she's run well.”

Kendrick Carmouche will ride Miss Marissa from post 2.

Three-time winner Jilted Bride seeks to make the grade for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

The ultra-consistent 4-year-old daughter of Wicked Strong has never finished out of the money in a dozen lifetime starts. She arrives off a runner-up effort in a seven-furlong allowance optional claimer on October 2 at Churchill Downs, which came three months after earning black type when third in the Lady Jacqueline at Thistledown.

“There's very few that try every race, and she is a model of consistency,” said Peter Bradley of Bradley Thoroughbreds, who owns Jilted Bride in partnership with Tim Cambron, Anna Cambron, Brady Carruth and Zane Carruth.

Bradley expressed optimism in Jilted Bride being competitive at graded stakes level.

“This race will tell us,” Bradley said. “She ran a very solid race in her comeback at Churchill. She certainly needed the race. She's a filly that has definitely matured and gotten better physically.”

Ruben Silvera will ride Jilted Bride from post 1.

Gibberish, trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr for e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, will attempt a fifth career win. The 4-year-old Lea filly earned graded stakes black type two starts back when second to Miss Marissa in the Delaware Handicap ahead of a fourth in the Summer Colony at Saratoga. Her last victory took place in the Treasure Chest last November at Delta Downs.

Gibberish will break from post 5 under Dylan Davis.

Completing the field are So Darn Hot [post 3, Manny Franco] and Firing Carol [post 4, Eric Cancel].

The Turnback the Alarm is carded as Race 3 on Saturday's 10-race program, which also includes the $200,000 Mohawk; the $100,000 Stewart Manor; and the $100,000 Chelsey Flower. First post is 12 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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“You have to train the horses that you have and you try to do the best you can for the owners that you have,” Ryerson said of the in-between years. “Then at times a nice one comes along, I think we have an idea of what to do with them when we get them. But if you should ever think that it's a given to always have nice horses in the barn, you're in the wrong business!”

With the filly now pointing to the Grade 1 Personal Ensign near the end of the Saratoga meet, 68-year-old Ryerson is remembering to savor the experience along the way.

The trainer had to take his time developing Miss Marissa for owner Alfonso Cammarota, to whom Ryerson was recommended by Frank and Patricia Generazio three years ago. A New York-bred daughter of He's Had Enough, Miss Marissa needed four starts to break her maiden as a 2-year-old, then the pandemic last year caused major interruptions in the first half of her 3-year-old season.

Miss Marissa really started to put it all together last July, winning an allowance race at Ryerson's old stomping grounds of Monmouth Park to kick off a three-race win streak that culminated in the G2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico in October.

“That all followed stretching her out to two turns, which really helped her,” Ryerson explained. “She then ran a pretty good second in the Ladies (Handicap) in January, got beat by a filly of Todd (Pletcher's), and I didn't think the track was to her liking at all that day. We had made up our minds to give her a break after that, and she's come back very well.”

After a five-month layoff, Miss Marissa ran second to Dream Marie in the listed Obeah Stakes at Delaware on June 9, then stepped up to capture the G2 Delaware 'Cap a month later by 1 ¼ lengths.

“You like to see a filly progress from three to four – she's gonna have to run faster and all – and I think you can see signs that she's doing that,” said Ryerson. “You have Letruska, Swiss Skydiver, some other fillies that ran a good bit faster than her last year, but she's narrowed the gap. I think she has controlling speed, she's not one-dimensional where she has to have the lead, but she can carry her speed and there aren't a lot out there that have done that.”

Miss Marissa wins the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park.

He acknowledges that the Personal Ensign will be a big step up in class, but Ryerson thinks Miss Marissa is capable of continuing to progress in what will be her third start off the layoff.

“We're stabled here (at Saratoga) and she won here last year, so that goes into it,” the trainer explained. “I think her effort in the Delaware Handicap puts us there. It's a pretty big jump but I think it's time to try and make it, and we've got about six weeks to get ready for that.”

The Personal Ensign is a “Win and You're In” race which offers the winner an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Distaff this fall at Del Mar. 

Should Miss Marissa earn a trip to the West Coast, it won't be Ryerson's first experience at the Breeders' Cup. He saddled the winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 1995: Unbridled's Song.

Later a champion sire, Unbridled's Song also won the 1996 Florida Derby and Wood Memorial before a well-publicized foot issue leading up to the Kentucky Derby. The colt wound up finishing fifth in the Run for the Roses.

Ryerson also had multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Park Avenue Ball run in his hometown's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Monmouth Park. in 2007.

“I haven't had too many opportunities in the Breeders' Cup, but this filly, looking at her going into this year, I think if she can win a couple this year, she can get herself in that discussion,” Ryerson said of Miss Marissa.

No matter how this season pans out, Ryerson has come a long way from the 15-year-old kid who walked onto the Monmouth backstretch looking for a summer job. He became a well-known figure on the New Jersey circuit for several decades, but made the decision to move his stable to New York full time about 10 years ago.

“I was looking for a place that I could continue doing what I love doing; because of the lost dates in New Jersey, there were a lot of opportunities lost in the state,” said Ryerson. “My wife and all my kids still live in Monmouth County, along with all our grandchildren, so it wasn't an easy decision to make. 

“My wife understands, but she stays there while I work in New York because it keeps her happy, and I then try to be the grandfather I want to be. You try to make the time. It's not as much as I would like, of course, because it's hard sometimes, but it's doable.”

With 17 horses at Saratoga and another 13 at Belmont, Ryerson said he definitely still enjoys coming to work every morning.

“I know that I'm not getting any younger, but I love doing it and I think that I can offer clients a good option as a horse trainer. I'm probably as busy now, even though I don't have a huge outfit, compared to five years ago, 10 years ago, so I think it's been a good move (to New York).”

Besides, you just never know when the next good horse will walk into your barn.

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Dalika started the sequence by besting Luck Money by one length in the $150,000 Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial in Race 5 at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del., with fillies and mares 3-years-old and up competing at 1 3/8 miles on the turf. Trained by Al Stall, Jr. and ridden by Miguel Mena, Dalika completed the course in 2:16.35 and returned $10.60 on a $2 win wager.

Three consecutive stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. comprised the heart of the wager, starting with Santa Barbara's rally for a half-length win in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational in Race 7. The Irish-bred shipper for trainer Aidan O'Brien rallied from seventh at the top of the stretch under internationally renowned jockey Ryan Moore, winning the 1 1/4-mile inner turf contest for sophomore fillies that was the first leg of the Turf Triple series. Santa Barbara, who notched a 2:03.76 final time, paid $4.30 as the even-money favorite in Race 7.

Prat, aboard the runner-up Con Lima in the Belmont Oaks Invitational, earned a trip to the winner's circle in the next race piloting Souper Sensational to a 3 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Victory Ride for 3-year-old fillies sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track in Race 8. Trained by Casse, Souper Sensational returned $13.80, posting a final time of 1:15.79 to top Ova Charged.

Belmont's other Turf Triple opener – the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational for 3-year-olds also going 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf, saw O'Brien and Moore team up again to win aboard a talented Irish-bred shipper, as Bolshoi Ballet rewarded his even-money favoritism with a 1 1/4-length score, paying $4.10. Bolshoi Ballet topped the French-bred Tokyo Gold, hitting the wire in 2:04.42.

Delaware Park bookended the action when Miss Marissa bested a six-horse field of fillies and mares 3-years-old and up to win the $400,000 Grade 2 Delaware Handicap by 1 1/4 lengths in Race 9. Miss Marissa, conditioned by James Ryerson and ridden by Daniel Centeno, notched a final time of 2:04.50, paying $11.40.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

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Out of the gate, Gibberish grabbed a short half-length lead over Miss Marissa, but Centeno pushed his gray 4-year-old filly to the front, with Gibberish and Saracosa just behind her. Through the backstretch, Miss Marissa maintained her advantage, with the favorite Bonny South moving up to fourth. With the first quarter in :25.15 and the half-mile in :50.10, Centeno held his mount steady, saving plenty for the stretch run.

Into the final turn, Dream Marie made her move on the outside of Gibberish, but no one could catch the eventual winner today. Despite an open rail for Queen Nekia, Miss Marissa was too good, stretching her lead to a length and a half as they approached the wire. Behind her, Gibberish held off Queen Nekia for second with Dream Marie, Bonny South, and Saracosa rounding out the field. Final Cut was scratched. The final time for the mile and a quarter was 2:04.50.

Find this race's chart here.

Bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Miss Marissa is a daughter of He's Had Enough out of the Arch mare Ardara. She was consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds at the October 2018 Ocala Breeders' Sale for $11,000 with Antonio Sano purchasing the filly. She is owned by Cammarota Racing LLC and trained by James Ryerson. Her win in the Delaware Handicap is her fifth win in 16 lifetime starts for total winnings of $604,690.

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This year, the 4-year-old daughter of Munnings is one for two. In her first outing in 2021, the Kentucky-bred trained by Brad Cox notched a head victory in the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 3 Doubledogdare at Keeneland on April 16.  She followed by running second over the same distance in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park on June 5.  Last year, Bonny South had a record of two wins and three seconds from six starts including a victory in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks and a trio of seconds in Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga, the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico and the Grade 2 Falls City at Churchill Downs.  She has a career record of four wins and four seconds from ten starts with earnings $692,150.

“She is doing well,” said trainer Brad Cox.  “She is a solid horse. You never really have to make any excuses for her and hopefully with a good trip on Saturday, she will get the job done. We have run her at Fair Grounds, Oaklawn, Pimlico, Keeneland, Saratoga, Belmont and obviously Churchill and she has run well at each time regardless of distance.  She is a just a consistent and solid filly.”

Bonny South will be arriving in Delaware towards the end of the week.

“She is going to ship to Monmouth,” Cox said.  “We are sending a little string to Monmouth and she will be part of that group.  From there, we are going to ship her to Delaware the day before or the day of the race, so she will be there Friday or Saturday.”

A solid effort in the Delaware Handicap will punch a ticket for her to travel to upstate New York in August.

“If all goes well afterward, we will ship her to Saratoga and point for the Personal Ensign (August 28),” Cox said.

Trainer Joseph Saffie Jr. has entered both eFive Racing Thoroughbreds Gibberish and Ken Copenhaver's Queen Nekia.

It will be a homecoming for Queen Nekia as the 6-year-old daughter of Harlington will be returning to the track where she has a main track career record of five wins, two seconds and a third from ten starts.  The Florida-bred has not raced at Delaware Park since her Delaware Certified Horse of the Year campaign in 2019.

In her 2021 debut, she posted a 1 ¾-length score in the Grade 3 Royal Delta going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park on February 20.  Since then, she had a pair of fourth-place efforts in the Top Flight Invitational at Aqueduct on April 10 and the aforementioned Phipps at Belmont on June 5.  She has a career record of ten wins, six seconds and seven thirds from 34 starts with earnings of $528,876.

“She has run well at Delaware in the past, so hopefully she will run well again on Saturday,” said trainer Joseph Saffie Jr.  “She was a proven solid filly before we claimed her back in December 2019 and she has gotten even better.  She has done more than we could have ever asked for.”

Gibberish has a career mark of four wins, a second and a third from 11 starts with earnings of $170,310.  In her most recent, the 4-year-old daughter of Lea ran second in the 1 1/16-mile Lady's Secret at Monmouth on June 6.

“Gibberish is also coming into the race well,” Saffie Jr. said. “She has won a stake, she beat Queen Nekia once and Queen Nekia beat her and she is coming off a good run at Monmouth.  We feel like the mile and a quarter fits her nicely as well and are expecting a solid effort from her.”

$400,000 Grade 2 Delaware Handicap, fillies & mares 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/4 miles

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With Joe Bravo aboard, the 4-year-old daughter of Graydar won by a 1 3/4-lengths and returned $19.40 in the field of seven. Miss Marissa, with Daniel Centeno, finished second. It was another a 2-lengths farther back to Market Rumor, with Chris Landeros., in third. The 6-to-5 favorite, Bajan Girl with Paco Lopez, finished fourth. Dream Marie covered the mile and a sixteenth in 1:44.40 on a sloppy main track.

The Obeah Stakes was the first career stakes victory for the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Matthew Williams. She raised her career record to five wins from 20 starts with earnings of $297,420.

Last year, Dream Marie teamed up with jockey Joe Bravo for a second-place finish in Delaware Oaks at odds of 9-to-1.

“She really likes this course,” said winning jockey Joe Bravo. “The last time she was on this course she was a very game second a heart-beat from winning. Today, as I was expecting, when she turned for home, she really kicked off nicely.”

Trainer Matthew Williams was never discouraged after her previous race when she ran fifth at Gulfstream Park on May 7 and he has the Delaware Handicap under consideration for her.

“She really likes being here at Delaware,” said winning trainer Matthew Williams. “She ran really well here last year and she was only beaten a half-length. She has been training really well. In her last race, she finished last but that was against boys. In that race she ran the time I was expecting because I was not expecting the winner to run in 1:34, but even in that race I thought she ran the race we were expecting. It did not end the way we wanted, but she was off for three months and she trained really well since then. The Delaware Handicap is definitely a consideration. It is a mile and a quarter, so we have to think about it, but she really likes it here at Delaware, so we got a lot to think about.”

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Graceful Princess is a daughter of the 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace. Havre de Grace, who broke her maiden at Delaware Park in 2009, won the Obeah Stakes before finishing second beaten a nose against her arch rival Blind Luck in the Delaware Handicap in 2011. Tapit, the sire of Graceful Princess, broke his maiden at Delaware Park in 2003 before winning the 2004 Wood Memorial.

In her only outing this year, Graceful Princess finished third beaten a neck in the mile and a sixteenth Grade 3 Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland in April 16.

“She has trained very well since the Doubledogdare,” said her trainer Todd Pletcher. “That was a huge effort and we are optimistic coming in.”

Last year, the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred had a record of a win from four starts. Her career record is two wins, a second and a third from 11 starts with earnings of $108,474.

Todd Pletcher has won the Obeah Stakes five times – Isola Piu Bella in 2005, Fleet Indian in 2006, Unbridled Belle in 2008 & 2009, and Love and Pride in 2012. Pletcher has used the Obeah Stakes as a prep for three of his four record equaling Delaware Handicap victories. In 2001, Irving's Baby ran third in the Obeah Stakes before winning the Delaware Handicap; in 2006, Fleet Indian won the Obeah Stakes before winning the DelCap; and in 2007, Unbridled Belle ran second in the Obeah Stakes before her Delaware Handicap score. In 2010, Life at Ten did not run in the Obeah Stakes before winning the Delaware Handicap.

The race is named in honor of the two-time Delaware Handicap winner in 1969 and 1970 and the dam of the Hall of Fame filly Go For Wand who was locally owned by Jane and Harry duPont's Christiana Stable. Horses finishing first, second, third or fourth in the Obeah Stakes will automatically earn a free nomination to the Delaware Handicap.

Since the Obeah Stakes was inaugurated in 1996, only the 2006 older female champion Fleet Indian and I'm a Chatterbox, who won the race in 2016, have won the race and followed with a victory in the Delaware Handicap. Two fillies have finished second in the Obeah and won the Delaware Handicap. They were Unbridled Belle in 2007 and Power Play in 1997. Three winners of the Obeah Stakes have followed by running second in the Delaware Handicap. They were 2011 Horse of the year Havre de Grace, Your Out in 2002 and Under the Rug in 2001.

$100,000 Obeah Stakes

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The opening week festivities will continue with live racing cards slated for Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 29, and Monday, May 31.

Live racing will be conducted on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays in 2021. Thursdays will be added June 24 through September 30. The Grade 3 Delaware Oaks is scheduled for Saturday, July 3, and the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap will be run on Saturday, July 10.

The 29th Owners Day, featuring four Delaware Certified Stakes, will be Saturday, September 25. The 77-day meet will conclude on Saturday, October 16.

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With Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard, the 4-year-old daughter of Quality Road posted a 3-length triumph and returned $2.40 as the favorite in the field of six.  Sacarosa, with Carol Cedeno, finished second a length in front of Bellera, with Trevor McCarthy in third.  Dunbar Road covered the mile and an eighth in 1:49.02 over a fast main track.

In her only other outing this year, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Chad Brown won the mile and a sixteenth $100,000 Shawnee Stakes by 1 ¾-lengths at Churchill Downs on May 23.  Last year, she won the Grade 2 Mother Goose at Belmont Park and the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga before finishing third in the Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland and fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Park.  She has a career record of six wins from nine starts with earnings of $998,040.

Winning jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. was impressed with this race.

“I got a perfect trip,” said winning jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.  “She broke really good, I was right behind the early speed right where I wanted to be.  I wanted to save some ground and then I got her out.  By the three-eighths pole, I started working my way out and I had no trouble, so I just got her clear and she responded.  She responded very well.  This is a really nice filly.  You are going to hear a lot from her – trust me.”

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