The year-round stall application, and related fee schedule, will be released later this summer. Opening day for the upcoming 87th live racing season is May 15 with racing on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The 75-day meet is scheduled to conclude Oct. 12.

“I am pleased to announce this multi-year contract,” said Delaware Park Chief Financial Officer Kevin DeLucia.  “We have worked hard to provide safe and exciting racing in the highly competitive Mid-Atlantic region and this contract ensures we will continue to attract quality horses and stables to Delaware.”

“Delaware Park's commitment to provide year-round stabling and training again has been very well received by our horsemen,” said DTHA President Tim Ritchey.

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For the first time since 2009, the Delaware H. will be run on a Sunday, highlighting a festival weekend of racing that includes the $250,000 GIII Robert G. Dick S. on the July 7 undercard. The $300,000 GII Delaware Oaks will kick off the weekend July 6.

“We want to carry the positive momentum established last year into this upcoming season,” said Chief Financial Officer Kevin DeLucia. “The horsemen, commission and management have continued working together to ensure competitive, fair and safe racing. We have also been aggressively expanding our wagering menu and finding the right niches to make our signal attractive on the national landscape. It will be challenging to keep moving the needle in a positive direction in the highly competitive Mid-Atlantic market, but our team is eager for the opportunity.”

Total live racing handle increased 7.0%, to $152.3 million for the 85-day meet in 2023 from $142.3 million for the 87-day meet in 2022. The daily average handle increased 9.6%, to $1.8 million in 2023 from $1.6 million in 2022.

Live racing will be conducted on a Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday weekly format for the majority of the 2024 meet. Nine Friday cards will be added to the schedule: June 7, June 14, Aug. 2, Aug. 9, Sept. 13, Sept. 20, Sept. 27, Oct. 4 and Oct. 11.

Live racing is not scheduled on Thursday, July 11. Daily first race post time is set for 12:30 p.m.

For the complete 2024 stakes schedule, click here.

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Delaware Park Casino & Racing and the Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (DTHA) have teamed up to donate $20,000 to Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue (MAHR) and Canter Delaware.

A check presentation was held after Saturday's fourth race as part of the special 10-race Owners Day card.

“We are honored to be a partner with Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue and Canter Delaware in this initiative to make sure these incredible athletes have careers after racing,” said Kevin DeLucia, chief financial officer at Delaware Park. “The people behind these organizations do incredible work dedicating themselves to making sure each horse has a purpose and place beyond racing. We could not be happier to support them.”

“The Delaware Park horsemen work well with the aftercare team,” said DTHA Executive Director Bessie Gruwell. “We are fortunate to have such a dedicated team, they have boots on the ground in the stable area every week checking in with trainers to see if they have any horses that are looking for a new career.”

For more information on the Mid-Atlantic Horse Recuse (MAHR) or to donate, visit www.midatlantichorserescue.org. For more information on the Canter Delaware or to donate, visit www.canterusa.org/delaware/ or Delaware Park Horse Aftercare Initiative on Facebook.

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Mooney has been involved in racing in the Mid-Atlantic region for nearly 40 years. Shortly after Delaware Park was purchased and reopened by William Rickman, Sr., in 1984, Mooney was named general manager. He was instrumental in keeping Delaware Park competitive in the 1980s and early 1990s with his innovative approach to the sport which included the introduction of the very successful Twin Trifecta.

In the summer of 1993, he left Delaware Park to take a similar post with the Maryland Jockey Club and later headed up the drive to establish racing in Virginia as head of Maryland/Virginia Racing which was the group that organized the opening and operation of Colonial Downs.

Mooney returned to Delaware Park as the Executive Director of Racing in the spring of 2008 at the request of William Rickman, Jr.

“His career has been brilliant, and like everyone in the Delaware Park family, I am proud and thankful to have been a part it,” said Kevin DeLucia, the track's chief financial officer. “So much of what Thoroughbred racing at Delaware Park is today has come from his leadership, guidance and experience over the last four decades. I wish John all the best in his retirement and am truly grateful for the significant contributions he has made to the industry.”

Mooney was born into the sport. His grandfather, J.D. Mooney, won the 1924 Kentucky Derby aboard Black Gold and trained the 1962 Canadian Horse of the Year Crafty Lace. His father, John J. Mooney, was a prominent horse racing executive who served at many racetracks, including the Ontario Jockey Club where he played an instrumental role in the development of the “new” Woodbine Racecourse in 1956.

Delaware Park's seven-furlong turf course will be dedicated to Mooney during a naming ceremony planned for Owners Day, Saturday, Oct. 1.

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Kevin DeLucia, senior vice president and chief financial officer for Delaware Park, said the racing association has an agreement with the Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association on the number of days and the revised calendar. The track will race mostly four days a week on a Wednesday-through-Saturday schedule, with select Fridays dark when the track races three days a week.

Delaware Park in recent years has raced Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

In 2021, Delaware Park raced 77 days and concluded the meet Oct. 30. According to the DTRC annual report for last year, purses paid totaled $17.57 million. Total pari-mutuel handle on the live product was roughly $118 million, and export handle of $114 million was the highest in at least four years.

A 2022 business plan for the track, which late last year was sold to Clairvest Group Inc. and Rubico Gaming LLC, includes an investment of $60,000 in a new inner rail for the turf course and a commitment to help fund at the very least a renovation of the DTRC licensing office located just outside the stable gate adjacent the DTHA office.

In other business, DTHA Executive Director Bessie Gruwell said the number of applications for the Delaware Certified Thoroughbred Program at the conclusion of 2021 was 366, a number expected to grow to perhaps 375 pending outstanding applications. The number is up 35-40 from the final 2020 number, she said.

“The program is still going strong,” Gruwell said.

The DCTP awards purse bonuses in overnight races as well as some Certified-restricted or “waiver” maiden events. Last year four new Certified-restricted stakes were added for a total of eight during the racing season.

Tom LaMarra is managing editor of THA Racing

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The 83rd season of live racing was originally scheduled to have 85-days beginning on May 27 and ending on Oct. 31, but because of the pandemic the meet was reduced by 20-days with opening day on June 17.

The 65-day season had increases in average handle per race and average starters per race. In 2020, the average handle per race was $167,192 with average starters per race of 7.52 and in 2019, the average handle per race was $157,640 with average starters per race of 6.56. There were 556 races compared to 661 in 2019. Total handle was $92,958,696 compared to the $104,200,290 from last year's 81-day meet.

“Without a doubt, this was one of the most challenging meets I can remember, but in many ways, it was also one of the most rewarding,” said Kevin DeLucia, Senior Vice President of Racing/Finance, who has been at Delaware Park for 24 years. “We were one of the first tracks and sporting venues to allow fans and we did so from the beginning of the meet until the end without incident. While we successfully negotiated all of the safety protocols and restrictions, we experienced increases in average handle and starters per race. None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the cooperation and support of the fans, employees, Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen Association and the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission.”

For the sixth time in seven years, Carol Cedeno was the leading jockey with 84 victories. The native of Puerto Rico, who lives in Delaware, has been the leading rider at Delaware Park every year since 2014, with the exception of 2017. She equaled the record for most titles by a jockey set by Michael McCarthy, who won six from 1996 through 2000 and 2002. Cedeno, concluded the meet 11 wins away from her 1,000th career victory (through October 21). Nearly 500 of those wins have been at Delaware Park.

“It really is overwhelming,” said jockey Carol Cedeno, who set the record for most wins in a day at Delaware Park in 2018 when she rode seven on a single card. “I am honored to be included in the group of the all-time great jockeys in Delaware Park history. There are some big names on that list and for my name to be among them at my hometown track is very humbling. We all work very hard at what we do and I am lucky that my hard work and sacrifices have resulted in these achievements.”

Jamie Ness recorded his sixth consecutive leading trainer championship by saddling 52 winners. The native of Heron, South Dakota, is one title shy of equaling the record for most consecutive trainer titles set by Delaware Park legends Grover 'Buddy' Delp from 1963 through 1969 and Scott Lake from 2002 through 2008. This is the eighth overall title for Ness. He has also been leading trainer in 2012 and 2013 and from 2015 through 2019. The record for most titles by a trainer is eleven also set by Grover “Buddy” Delp.

Jagger Inc. won the leading owner title by recording 25 wins.

The brilliant filly Dunbar Road won the Delaware Handicap with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard on July 11th. Owned by Peter M. Brant, the daughter of Quality Road posted a 3-length victory in the filly and mare summer classic. The Kentucky-bred is conditioned by Chad Brown. Otter Bend Stables' Gufo won the Kent Stakes with Trevor McCarthy aboard on July 4. The son of Declaration of War trained by Christophe Clement notched a half-length win and followed with a second in the Saratoga Derby on Aug. 15 and a victory in the Belmont Derby on Oct. 3.

“The racing at the meet was exciting and competitive from the beginning to the end,” said John Mooney, the Executive Director of Racing. “I could not be happier. Between our big race days and the race for leading jockey, trainer and owner, every live race day had something special. We are very much looking forward to seeing how horses like Dunbar Road and Gufo do in the race for national divisional championships. We could not be happier for Carol Cedeno and Jamie Ness as they are continuing the rich tradition of top and first class jockeys and trainers at Delaware Park.”

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