At Long Last, the Delaware Handicap is Grade One

After years of being snubbed, after years of being robbed of the status it so richly deserved, the Delaware Handicap has finally been restored as a grade one stakes race for 2013.

 

Delaware Park has been called one of the most beautiful tracks in America. The layout is great, the paddock is beautifully laid out, the atmosphere is family friendly, it’s an all-around great place to be. The Delaware Handicap has been stuck at a grade two status for a long, long while. Despite having a million dollar purse, being at a classic distance, and constantly bringing in some of the best distaffers in the older female division.

 

Since 2006 the race has produced and played host to a total of four champions, the most recent being Royal Delta. The first mare to really breathe some life back into the Del Cap was Fleet Indian. She brought a five race win streak into the race and dominated. The race catipulted her to two more grade one wins and a championship.

 

Others to use the race as a spring board were Swift Temper and Icon Project. Both went on to win highly prestigious grade ones in their subsequent starts. Hystericaladay, a grade one winner, who just seemed to be born in the wrong year showed how dominant she could be when away from the likes of Ginger Punch and Zenyatta. Life at Ten, another grade one winner, took the race with ease before running third in the Personal Ensign and winning another grade one, the Beldame. In most years she would have been crowned the champion of her division, but Zenyatta, again, stole that spotlight with a near perfect season, just missing by a head in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

 

Despite either playing host to grade one winners or producing them several years in a row, the race was still snubbed. After being denied the status for 2011, after Life At Ten’s success before and after the race, I was shocked, even more so when it was denied again in 2012. In 2011 it drew the 2010 Life at Ten, the 2010 three year old filly Champion Blind Luck winner of the Fleur de Lis and Vanity Handicap, and Apple Blossom winner Havre de Grace. The latter would go on to win the Woodward against males, dominate the Beldame and win Horse of the Year. Furthermore, the race was thought to be the moment of the year by many, as it proved to be the final and most thrilling showdown between Blind Luck and Havre de Grace, who were longtime rivals.

 

The 2012 edition may have fallen short of the 2012, but it still had star power, bring together champion Royal Delta and multiple grade one winner Awesome Maria. Love and Pride, who set the pace, also went on to win two more grade ones after the race. The Delaware Handicap also produced another thrilling finish, as Royal Delta made an early move to snag the lead, but looked leg weary as Tiz Miz Sue made a run before valiantly fighting back. She won the race by a neck showing a new dimension and the heart of a champion.

 

I wasn’t expecting much, after seeing my home track snubbed so many times, but when I saw the headline I became ecstatic. The pride in my home track has always been there, but after seeing that I was practically bursting. At long last the Delaware Handicap and Delaware Park was finally recognized and given what it deserved. Going into 2013 and looking at the distaff division I can’t wait to see another star studded cast come to Delaware, this time racing under its newly minted grade one banner. Go Delaware Park!!!!!