The Delaware Handicap is an American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

run annually at

Delaware Park Racetrack Delaware Park (also known as ''DelPark'') is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track, casino, and golf course in Stanton, Delaware. It is located just outside the city of Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington, and about 30 miles from Philadelphia ...

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

. The Grade III race is open to fillies and mares, age three and up, willing to race one mile and one eighth on the dirt. The race was inaugurated as the New Castle Handicap as part of the racing schedule with the 1937 opening of

. In 1939, Shangay Lily won the race as a seven year old, and to date remains the oldest winner of the race. In 1953, the $100,000 purse offered by the New Castle Handicap made it the richest race in the world for fillies and mares at the time. In 1955 the race was renamed the Delaware Handicap. The race was held at Saratoga from 1982 until 1985. In 2017, champion filly

Songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 5,00 ...

won as the shortest-priced favorite in the race's history at 1-9 odds. In 2023, Delaware Park management announced that the race would be shortened to miles, citing difficulties in attracting top fillies and mares to run the -mile distance. Two years later, following the race's downgrading from Grade II to Grade III, management announced that the race would be further shortened to miles and moved to September. The race's fall positioning allows it to serve as a potential prep race for the year-end

Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was ...

Records

Speed record:
* 1:59.80 – Coup de Fusil (1987) (At former distance of miles) Most wins by a horse * 2 – Endine (1958, 1959) * 2 –

Obeah Obeah, also spelled Obiya or Obia, is a broad term for African diaspora religions, African diasporic religious, Magic (supernatural), spell-casting, and healing traditions found primarily in the British West Indies, former British colonies of th ...

(1969, 1970) * 2 – Blessing Angelica (1971, 1972) * 2 – Susan's Girl (1973, 1975) * 2 – Nastique (1988, 1989) * 2 – Royal Delta (2012, 2013) * 2 – Elate (2018, 2019) Most wins by an owner: * 4 – Christiana Stable (1958, 1959, 1969, 1970) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

: * 4 – Ángel Cordero Jr. (1968, 1974, 1981, 1987) * 4 - José Ortiz (2014, 2018, 2019, 2024) Most wins by a trainer: * 4 – Henry S. Clark (1958, 1959, 1969, 1970) * 4 – Todd A. Pletcher (2001, 2006, 2007, 2010) * 4 – William I. Mott (2012, 2013, 2018, 2019)

Winners

References

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External links

History of the Delaware HandicapTen Things You Should Know About the Delaware Handicap at Hello Race Fans
Grade 2 stakes races in the United States Graded stakes races in the United States Middle distance horse races for fillies and mares Horse races in Delaware Recurring sporting events established in 1937 Delaware Park Racetrack 1937 establishments in Delaware