The Breeders’ Cup Championships and the $50,000 Crowned Stakes highlights Closing Day for the 75^th season of live racing at Delaware Park this Saturday.

The eight-race live racing program is set to get underway with a 1:15 p.m. post time for the first race.  The 12-race Breeders’ Cup program, simulcast from Santa Anita Park, will begin with a first race post time of 1:05 p.m., with the first Breeders’ Cup race set for 2:50 p.m.  On Friday, the Breeders’ Cup Ladies card will have a first race post time of 2:15 p.m., with the first Breeders’ Cup race set for 4:15 p.m.

A strong contingent of local connections will be seeking national glory in the Breeders’ Cup. 

On Friday, Delaware Park connections will be represented in the Ladies’ Classic, Marathon and Juvenile Fillies Turf.  Locally-based and owned Grace Hall, the winner of the Delaware Oaks; Royal Delta, the winner of the Delaware Handicap; and Love and Pride, the winner of the Obeah Stakes, will be seeking a victory in the Ladies’ Classic.  Eldaafer, who will be ridden by Delaware Park’s current leading jockey Ricardo Santana, and Not Abroad, who is Delaware Certified and trained by Michael Petro and will be ridden by Nicholas Petro, are solid contenders in the Marathon.  Tara From the Cape, the winner of the Thomas “Tuck” Greene earlier this year at Delaware Park, is listed at 12-to-1 in the morning-line odds for the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

On Saturday, Delaware Park connections will be represented in the Filly and Mare Sprint, Turf, Sprint and Mile.  Dust and Diamonds, the winner of the Dashing Beauty Stakes at Delaware Park, has been installed as the 9-to-2 third choice in the Filly and Sprint; Optimizer, a winner of his last two, including the Grade III Kent Stakes at Delaware Park, is 20-to-1 in the Turf; Poseidon’s Warrior, who is Delaware Certified, is 15-to-1 in the Sprint; and Animal Kingdom, the winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby conditioned by Fair Hill-based H. Graham Motion, is 8-to-1 in the Turf Mile.

Barry and Joni Butzow’s Bryan’s Jewel tops a field of seven in the Saturday feature at Delaware Park – the $50,000 Crowned Stakes.  The mile-and-a-16th test for fillies and mares has an approximate post time of 4:35 p.m.  In his most recent, Bryan’s Jewel posted a 1¼-length in the George Rosenberger Memorial on the Delaware Park turf on October 20.  The Kentucky-bred conditioned by McLean Robertson has a career record of five wins, four seconds and three thirds from 16 starts, with earnings of $227,903.  Ricardo Santana will have the mount aboard the 4-year-old daughter of Rockport Harbor.

The second race on the live race card will pay tribute to the 101^st Airborne Division on its 70^th Anniversary.  Members of the 101^st Airborne Division will present a silver plate to the winning jockey and horse owner in the Winner’s Circle following the race.

Sharida Nasser Al Kaabi’s Status Symboll, a winner of his last three races, tops the $75,000 Grade I Delaware Park Arabian Classic Handicap.  The one-mile-and-one-quarter test for Arabian 3-year-olds and upward has attracted a field of 11.  The approximate post time is 5:15 p.m.

Delaware Park’s live racing card for Wednesday, October 24, has been cancelled due to insufficient entries. 

Live racing will be conducted today and is scheduled for Thursday, October 25.  First race post time is 1:15 p.m.

The races that filled for the Wednesday card will be brought back as extra races for the Thursday and Saturday cards.

My Meadowview Farm’s Stephanoatsee won the Owners Day feature – the $100,000 Barbaro Stakes at Delaware Park today.  With Sheldon Russell aboard, the 3-year-old son of A.P. Indy closed from last before posting a ¾-length victory as the 7-to-5 favorite in the field of seven.  Adirondack King, with Jeremy Rose, finished second 1 ¼-lengths in front of Traffic Light, with John Bisono, in third. 

Stephanoatsee covered the mile and a sixteenth in 1:44.79 over a fast main track.  The Barbaro Stakes was the first career stake victory for the Kentucky-bred conditioned by H. Graham Motion.  His career record is three wins from seven starts with earnings of $198,000.

Nicole H cruised to victory in the $100,000 Endine Stakes at Delaware Park.  With Daniel Centeno aboard, the 5-year-old daughter of Mr. Greeley posted a 1 ¼-length score and returned $3.80 as the favorite in the field of seven.  The Kentucky-bred conditioned by Michael Hushion covered the six furlongs in 1:09.96 over a fast main track. 

After setting early fractions of :21.47 for the quarter mile and :44.39 for the half mile, Winning Image, with Jose Caraballo, finished second.  It was another 1 ¾-lengths farther back to Starlite Starbrite, with Jeremy Rose, in third.

Nicole H raised her career mark to eight wins from 26 starts with earnings of $673,144.

Nicole H has been winless in her last seven outings, but the classy daughter of Mr. Greeley may be peaking just in time for the $100,000 Endine Stakes at Delaware Park this Saturday.  The six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, named after the 1958 and 1959 Delaware Handicap winner, has attracted a field of nine.

In those seven outings, Nicole H has finished second four times – three against graded competition.  On February 18 at Laurel Park, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Michael Hushion lost the seven-furlong Grade II Barbara Fritchie Handicap by a neck; on June 2 at Belmont Park, she lost the six-and-a-half-furlong Grade II Vagrancy Handicap by a neck; and on July 7 at Calder Racecourse, she lost the six-furlong Grade I Princess Rooney Handicap by a half-length.  In her most recent outing, she ran second, beaten by 2¾ lengths, in the six-furlong Changing Terms Stakes at Penn National on September 22.  This year, she has a record of two wins and four seconds from nine starts, with earnings of $313,800.  Her career record is seven wins, 10 seconds and two thirds from 25 starts, with earnings of $613,144.

Trainer Michael Hushion has also entered Roman Treasure.  The 4-year-old daughter of Roman Ruler won her 2012 debut by two lengths in the six-furlong $85,000 Chaldea Stakes at Belmont Park on July 8.  Since then, the Kentucky-bred finished sixth in the Grade II Honorable Miss at Saratoga on August 3 and fifth in the Grade II six-and-a-half-furlong Gallant Bloom at Belmont Park on September 22.  Last year, she posted a record of four wins and two seconds from 11 starts, with earnings of $184,714.  Her career record is five wins and two thirds from 14 starts, with earnings of $243,048.

The horse for the course is Bean Counter Stable’s Eve Giselle.  The 5-year-old daughter of Five Star Day owns a record of three wins from three starts at Delaware Park, including victories in the Endine and Sweet Sassy Stakes last year.  But the Florida-bred conditioned by Tim Ritchey has made only one start this year.  After battling for the early lead as the 6-to-5 favorite, she finished fourth, beaten by 2¾-lengths, in a seven-furlong allowance at Laurel Park on September 21.  She has a career record of six wins, two seconds and a third from 10 starts, with earnings of $285,620.

Mrs. Fitiani Hay’s Winnie Dixie will be making her stake debut after posting three consecutive victories by a combined margin of 9¼ lengths versus allowance competition.  In her most recent, the 4-year-old daughter of Dixie Union notched a 1 ½-length score at Monmouth Park on July 20.  Previously, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Kiaran McLaughlin won a six-furlong allowance by 5 ½ lengths at Monmouth Park on June 8.  On March 14, she posted a 2 ¼-length triumph in a six-furlong allowance at Aqueduct.  She has a career record of four wins, two seconds and a third from eight starts, with earnings of $122,187.

George and Lori Hall’s Vegas No Show won the $75,000 Dover Stakes at Delaware Park today.  With Ricardo Feliciano aboard, the 2-year-old son of Hard Spun outdueled Keep the Canoli, with Jose Ferrer, in the final furlong to post a nose victory.  It was another 2 3/4-lengths further back to Outhaul, with Geovany Garcia, in third.

Vegas No Show stalked early fractions of :46.15 for the half mile and 1:11.51 for the three-quarters mile before completing the mile and seventy yards over a fast track in 1:43.71.  The Kentucky-bred conditioned by Kelly Breen returned $5.00 as the favorite in the field of seven. 

The Dover Stakes was the first career stake victory for Vegas No Show.  In his previous outing, he finished unplaced in the Grade II Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga on September 3.  On July 26, he notched his first career victory in a one mile maiden event at Delaware Park.  His career record is now two wins from four starts with earnings of $73,000.

Repole Stable’s Micromanage, an impressive winner in his recent career debut at Saratoga, tops the $75,000 Dover Stakes at Delaware Park this Saturday.  The mile-and-70-yard event for 2-year-olds has attracted a field of ten.  Four colts who have placed in the Dover Stakes have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby the following year.  Count Turf won the Dover in 1950; Carry Back finished second in 1960; Foolish Pleasure won in 1974 and Spectacular Bid finished second in 1978.

In his only career outing, Micromanage posted a 5-length triumph in a seven-furlong maiden at Saratoga on September 1.  The Kentucky-bred son of Medaglia d’Oro conditioned by Todd Pletcher is a half brother to the multiple graded winning filly Indescriable, who won the Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland in 2009, and Elaflaak, who won a 2-year-old stake in England in 1999.

Another to watch is S.M.D. Limited’s Seventeenohsix.  In his third start, the Pennsylvania-bred colt broke his maiden by three lengths going a mile and 70 yards at Delaware Park on September 19.  The son of Dance With Ravens is trained by John Servis, who won the 2-year-old filly feature of the meet, the Blue Hen Stakes, last Saturday with Martha’s Moon. Seventeenohsix will be ridden by Jose Caraballo, who sports a record of 16 wins from 43 mounts aboard 2-year-olds at Delaware Park this year.

 In first start around two-turns and outside the state of Florida, Fox Hill Farm’s Martha’s Moon pulled off the upset victory in the $75,000 Blue Hen Stakes at Delaware Park today.

With Javier Santiago aboard, the 2-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon notched a 1 ¾-length front running win and returned $13.00 as the third-choice in the field of six.  The Kentucky-bred conditioned by John Servis cut early fractions of :47.69 for the half mile and 1:12.84 for the three-quarters mile before completing the mile and seventy yards in 1:43.93 over a fast main track.

Danalake, with Jose Caraballo, finished second a neck in front of the 4-to-5 favorite Kimono, with Jeremy Rose, in third.

In her four previous outings, Martha’s Moon posted a record of two wins from four starts all at Calder Race Course in sprints.  With the Blue Hen victory, her career record is three win

Sheldon Nitenson’s Danalake, a winner of her last two, tops the $75,000 Blue Hen Stakes at Delaware Park this Saturday.  Last year, the locally-based Grace Hall used the mile and seventy yard test for 2-year-old fillies as a prep for her second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

In her most recent, Danalake posted a 3 ¾-length score in the one mile $50,000 Our Mims Stakes at Delaware Park on August 22.  Previously, the daughter of Friends Lake posted a 2-length triumph to break her maiden going five furlongs at Delaware Park on July 4.  The Kentucky-bred conditioned by Todd Pletcher sports a career record of two wins and a second from three starts with earnings of $58,800.

Anthony Dutrow, who won the Blue Hen Stakes with Grace Hall last year, has entered Green Lantern Stable’s Dahteste.  In her last, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Majestic Warrior broke her maiden by a head in her second career outing going a mile at Delaware Park on September 3.

“We sprinted her in her first race and she got some experience from it,” said trainer Anthony Dutrow.  “Obviously, she learned a lot because when we stretched her out going two turns, in her next race, she won and she ran very professionally.  It was really good to see her give that kind of effort with such limited experience.  She really stepped up and ran a nice race for us, so we are very happy with her.  She has trained very well for the Blue Hen.  There are a lot of things that add up that makes sense for us to try her in the Blue Hen.”

Fox Hill Farm’s Martha’s Moon will be making her first start going a route.  The daughter of Malibu Moon has four career starts all sprinting at Calder Race Course.  Her two victories all came over sloppy tracks. 

“She has got a grass pedigree and a lot of those grass horses prefer an off-track,” said trainer John Servis.  “We purchased her thinking she was going to prefer going long on the grass.  There really is not much around right now for her on the grass, so we thought we would try her going long in the Blue Hen Stakes.  And you know if we get some rain that will not hurt either.  It seems like they come out of Calder and do well every where especially in the summer time.  I think it really toughens young horses up and makes them pretty hardy and they generally come north and do real well.”