After posting a solid record at the recently concluded Oaklawn Park meeting, trainer Ron Moquett will be returning for his second full season at Delaware Park. The 39-year-old native of Fort Smith, Arkansas, will have approximately 40 horses in Stanton for the next six months.

Moquett recently finished fourth in the Oaklawn Park standings with a record of 23 wins, 12 seconds, and 14 thirds from 123 starters with earnings of $381,932.

“I had the right horses for Oaklawn and it translated into success,” said Ron Moquett while on the road driving his horses to Delaware Park. “My owners and jockeys also contributed to my success - a terrific grouping that are critical components of a successful meet. We are looking forward to racing at Delaware Park and are preparing for one tough meet.”

And he is able to speak of success from his experience. Last year, after competing against some of the toughest outfits in the Midwest, he came east for the first time and held his own against the old Delaware Park stalwarts like – Lake, Ritchey, Klesaris, Jones, and Dutrow – by finishing the 2009 season ninth in the Delaware Park trainer standings with a record of 26 wins, 32 seconds and 31 thirds from 206 starters with earnings $480,025. But this year, some of his friends from the Midwest are following.

“This year’s Delaware Park meet is going to be different,” Moquett said. “It is not going to be like the meet we had last year and it is not going to be like meets from a couple a years ago. This year, is probably going to be the most competitive it has been in some time and with new guys like Steve Hobby, Mac Robertson, Bret Calhoun and D. Wayne Lukas coming to town, you better be ready because those guys are coming to win. Then if you also throw that group in with the returning outfits, who are just as tough, and you are going to have a very competitive season."

In addition, Moquett has a pair to watch from his barn.

“Keep an eye on a horse named Toby the Coal Man and another named Chance and a Half,” he said. “We have been having a lot of fun with them at Oaklawn over the winter and I expect that should carryover to Delaware.”

Toby the Coalman is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Mineshaft with a career record of two wins, three seconds, and two thirds from 15 starts with earnings of $88,196. He has yet to notch a victory this year, but he has kept some tough allowance company in five starts at Oaklawn Park.

Chance and a Half is a 5-year-old Arkansas-bred son of Storm and a Half with a career record of eight wins, two seconds and a third from 17 starts with earnings of $110,885. He concluded his Oaklawn meet by posting a victory in the Arkansas-bred restricted stake, the Nodouble Stakes. He likes the Delaware Park main track. Last year, he had a record of four wins from seven outings over the Wilmington-oval.

The 73rd season of live racing gets underway on Kentucky Derby Day, Saturday May 1st. The 116-day season will feature live racing on Saturdays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays with Thursday cards from July 15th through August 26th. Daily first race post time will be 1:15 p.m.