Candy DeBartolo’s Life at Ten won the $750,000 Grade II Delaware Handicap, the first Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifier of the year for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, at Delaware Park today.

The 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon ran her winning streak to six straight and her trainer Todd Pletcher equaled the Delaware Handicap record of four for most victories by a trainer. Henry Clark, the trainer for Christiana Stables, won four Delaware Handicaps in 1958 and 1959 with Endine and 1969 and 1970 with Obeah. Todd Pletcher won the Delaware Handicap in 2001 with Irving’s Baby, in 2006 with Fleet Indian and in 2007 with Unbridled Belle.

Life at Ten cut early fractions of :49.75 for the half and 1:14.01 before completing the mile and a quarter in 2:03.21. The Kentucky-bred returned $3.20 as the favorite in the field of six. Miss Singhsix, with Jose Valdivia, Jr., finished second 2 ¾-lengths in front of Funny Moon, with Alan Garcia, in third.

“On paper it looked like she was closing the speed, but you never know,” and trainer Todd Pletcher. “She was fortunate to get an easy first quarter and half and she really had a lot left in the stretch, We will probably look at the Personal Ensign at Saratoga next and go from there. It is just special to win the Delaware Handicap because it is such an important race for fillies and mares. We have always looked at the Del ‘Cap as a great opportunity. It has a great tradition and great purse and we have been fortunate enough to win the race four times.”
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First Race – Dilly’s Dancer has the right connections to win at first asking.

Second Race – Metro Man will complete the early Klesaris double.

Fourth Race – Roar of the Kitty has been getting better with each effort.

Fifth Race – Red Dirt Road is stepping up monetarily but he likes the DelPark surface and he has top connections.

First Race – Classic Tiger is facing tougher today, but Terry Thompson gets the call and Cody Autrey is starting to win at a rapid clip.

Sixth Race – Divination had a pretty good effort in most recent after a four and a half month break. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Aldebaran hails from a top barn and Rosie Napravnik gets the call.

Third Race – The dam of Malibu Murmur is Shiny Sheet. who won the 2004 John Rooney Memorial and ran third in the 2003 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park today.

Eighth Race – Tap Night is a full brother to Grade II winner Tap Day. Greatest Khan is a half brother to Grade III winner Changing World. Steady Eddie is a half brother to Grade II stake winner Sweet and Ready.

Brereton Jones’ Raised With Pride was an impressive 2-year-old maiden winner at Delaware Park today.

In her first career start, the Kentucky-bred trained by Cindy Jones moved up outside her rivals to gain the lead in mid-stretch before posting 3 ¾-length score. Ridden by Terry Thompson the daughter of Proud Citizen covered the five furlongs in 1:01.13 on a fast main track and returned $20.40 in the field of eight.

Brereton Jones and Cindy Jones, who is the wife of retired trainer J. Larry Jones, are the same connections that campaigned Proud Spell to win the Eclipse Award for outstanding 3-year-old filly in 2008.

A E Phi Sensation finished second. It was another 2 ¼-lengths farther back to Par Lady in third.

Third Race – In his most recent, Dylan the Deputy finished second to Affluence in a 4 ½ furlong maiden at Delaware Park. In his next start, Affluence impressively won the Par Four Stakes. Dylan the Deputy, a 2-year-old son of Deputy Storm, has been sharp in both career defeats. The Maryland-bred trained by John Robb should graduate today.

Fifth Race – In his last at Tampa, Deuces Takem was checked and steadied but still managed to finish fourth beaten only 4 ½-lengths by the winner. The 4-year-old by Put It Back has not run a bad one in three career starts and he gets the services of Jose Valdivia, Jr.

Sixth Race - This is the first start of the year for Black and Amber, but the 7-year-old conditioned by Scott Lake likes this track with a record of four wins and a third from seven starts.

Ninth Race – It has been a while since Our Edge has made a visit to the winner’s circle. To be exact, it was last year on July 19 when he won the Grade III Barbaro Stakes by 7-lengths. In his only other Delaware Park start, the 4-year-old son of The Cliff’s Edge conditioned by Nicholas Zito, posted an 8 ¾-length score in a one mile maiden. Rose and Zito are a formidable pairing at Delaware Park.

Second Race – Aphrodite Storm ran third beaten nearly 10-lengths in last to Affluence. Affluence came back to win the Par Four Stakes a couple weeks later.

Fifth Race – Hard Copy hails from barn of Michael Stidham and Rosie Napravnik gets the call.

Eighth Race – Cerrador was a very sharp second in DelPark debut after return from short layoff.

Ninth Race – Watz His Name is back in against allowance competition after beating claimers. The 6-year-old sports a record of three wins and three seconds from seven starts at Delaware Park.

Fourth Race – Smart Maneuver has been sharp in both career starts finishing second and hails from the ever dangerous barn of Christophe Clement. Yankee Scholar, a 3-year-old son of Smarty Jones conditioned by Todd Pletcher, is a half brother to multiple graded stakes winner Albert the Great. Delta Emperator, a 4-year-old son of Empire Maker, is a half brother to multiple graded stakes winner Delta Princess and Grade I winner Indy Five Hundred.

Wesley Ward and Ice Wine Stable’s Final Mesa posted her first career stake victory in the $51,050 Polly Drummond Stakes at Delaware Park today.

With Jose Valdivia Jr. aboard, the 2-yea-old daughter of Sky Mesa won by ¾-lengths and returned $4.20 as the favorite in the field of eight. Gave Away Power, with Israel Ocampo, finished second 1 1/4-lengths in front of Mis Vizcaya, with Joseph Rocco Jr., in third. The even-money second-choice Twelve Pack Shelly, with Harry Vega, went to her knees at the break and never recovered finishing sixth.

Final Mesa cut early fractions of :22.17 for a quarter and :46.02 for a half before completing the four and a half furlongs in :52.54 over a fast main track. The New York-bred trained by Wesley Ward raised her career mark to two victories from as many starts with earnings of $55,500. In her career debut, she notched a 7 ½-length triumph in a four and a half furlong maiden special at Keeneland on April 16.

Wesley Ward and Ice Wine Stable’s Final Mesa tops the $50,000 Polly Drummond Stakes at Delaware Park this Saturday. The four and a half furlong event has attracted a field of eight 2-year-old fillies.

In her only career start, Final Mesa posted a 7 ½-length triumph in a four and a half furlong Keeneland maiden on April 16. The New York-bred daughter of Sky Mesa followed with a three furlong breeze in 35.40 over the synthetic course at Keeneland on May 10. Jose Valdivia Jr. gets the call on the Wesley Ward trainee.

John Salzman Jr., Danny Divver and George Greenwalt’s Twelve Pack Shelly rates as the second choice at 5-to-2 on the morning-line odds. The Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Deputy Storm has made two career starts. On April 8, the John Salzman Sr. trainee broke her maiden by 10 ¾-lengths in a four and a half furlong maiden at Laurel Park. She followed by finishing third beaten 1 ¾-lengths in the five furlong $100,000 Grade III Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day April 30.

A locally-based first-time starter from the Randy Nunley barn, which is a perennial top ten outfit at Delaware Park, is an intriguing entry. Thomas Porter’s Loaded Lady is a half-sister to stakes winner Umpateedle who won the Grade III Endine Handicap and the Light Hearted Handicap both at Delaware Park in 2005. She also won the Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park during her 6-year-old campaign. The dam, Missy McKee, has produced six horses that have run at Delaware Park from 2001 through 2009. They have a combined record of 12 wins, 11 seconds, and eight thirds from 64 starts with earnings of $569,732 in Stanton. Loaded Lady is a Florida-bred daughter of Milwaukee Brew. She will be ridden Rosemary Homeister Jr.

“This race came up extremely tough,” said wife and assistant trainer Tracy Nunley. “I never would have thought that both (John) Salzman and (Wesley) Ward would have entered horses. Loaded Lady is when of our better 2-year-olds so we are giving her a shot in the stake and I think she will run well, but this a tough spot. I also claimed Missy McKee at Delaware Park awhile ago. When I claimed her, she had a knee injury and I had to retire her so we started breeding her and she has really produced some useful runners especially here at Delaware Park.”