A strong contingent of local horses seeking national glory in the Breeders’ Cup Championships highlights Closing Day for the 74^th season of live racing at Delaware Park this Saturday.

The 11-race live racing program is set to get underway with a special 11:45 a.m. post time for the first race.  The 12-race Breeders’ Cup program, simulcast from Churchill Downs, will begin with a first race post time of 12:05 p.m.  On Friday, the Breeders’ Cup Ladies card will have a first race post time of 2:00 p.m.

Havre de Grace, Union Rags and Grace Hall will be seeking to carry on the tradition, set forth by Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex, Barbaro, Hard Spun, Eight Belles and Animal Kingdom, of locally-based horses taking national success to the next level.

A victory in the Classic on November 5 by Havre de Grace would all but assure the filly, owned by Wilmington, Delaware, native Richard Porter’s Fox Hill Farm, Horse of the Year honors.  The 4-year-old daughter of Saint Liam conditioned by J. Larry Jones would become the first local horse to achieve that feat since the legendary Spectacular Bid took the honors in 1980.  She would also become the first locally-based filly or mare to ever win the award, and only the 10th in the history of the sport, following in the footsteps of the most recent overall champions, Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta.

A victory in the Juvenile by Union Rags would all but assure the colt, owned by Chester County native Phyllis Wyeth, the 2-year-old championship honors and peg him as the early Kentucky Derby favorite.  The Kentucky-bred conditioned by Michael Matz would become the first local horse to achieve those feats since Spectacular Bid achieved those honors in 1978.

A victory in the Juvenile Fillies on November 4 by Grace Hall would all but assure the filly, owned by Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables, the 2-year-old filly championship honors.  The Kentucky-bred conditioned by Anthony Dutrow would become the first local horse to achieve that feat since the brilliant filly Go For Wand, owned by Jane DuPont Lunger’s Christiana Stables, won the honor in 1989.

Havre de Grace was stabled at Delaware Park from April through late September.  She won the Grade III Obeah Stakes and then suffered her lone defeat of the year when she ran second, beaten by a nostril, against her arch-rival Blind Luck in what many have dubbed the “The Race of the Year” in the Grade II Delaware Handicap.  Undeterred, Havre de Grace followed with victories in the Woodward, against the boys, at Saratoga and the Beldame at Belmont Park.

Union Rags broke his maiden going five furlongs at Delaware Park on July 12.  The undefeated son of Dixie Union followed by winning the Grade II Saratoga Special and the Grade I Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park.

Grace Hall, undefeated in three career outings, broke her maiden at Delaware Park going six furlongs on July 30.  The daughter of Empire Maker conditioned by Anthony Dutrow then won the Grade I Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga.  In her most recent outing, she won the $75,000 Blue Hen Stakes at Delaware Park on October 1.

Other notable Delaware Park connected horses in the Breeders’ Cup include the following:

E-Racing.com and Kevin Jacobsen’s Eldaafer, who will run in the Marathon on Saturday, recently ran second in the $75,000 Governor’s Day Stakes at Delaware Park on September 10.  Previously, the 6-year-old son of A.P. Indy conditioned by Diane Alvarado won a mile-and-a-sixteenth allowance at Delaware Park on August 17.  Last year, the Kentucky-bred won the Marathon after being stabled at Delaware Park.  He has a career record of 11 wins, a second and five thirds from 31 starts, with earnings of $753,132.

George and Lori Hall’s Ruler on Ice, who will run in the Classic on Saturday, broke his maiden at Delaware Park last year.  This year, the 3-year-old son of Roman Ruler conditioned by Kelly Breen won the Belmont Stakes on June 11.  In his most recent, the Kentucky-bred ran second in the Grade II Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on September 24.  He has a career record of three wins, three seconds and two thirds from 10 starts, with earnings of $1,108,500.

H. Graham Motion, who won the Kentucky Derby this year with Animal Kingdom and is locally-based at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Maryland, will enter five horses in the Breeders’ Cup Championships.  On Saturday, Motion, who has won 21 stakes at Delaware Park including two this year and the 1997 Delaware Handicap, will have Hoofit in the Turf Sprint and Lucky Chappy & State of Play in the Juvenile Turf.  On Friday, he has Aruna and Shared Account in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Michael Matz will also have Somali Lemonade in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Ramon Dominguez, the all-time leading Delaware Park jockey by wins, has ten Breeders’ Cup mounts.  On Saturday, he has mounts on Havre de Grace in the Classic; Gio Ponti in the Turf Mile; Hansen in the Juvenile; Dean’s Kitten in Turf; Big Drama in the Sprint; and State of Play in the Juvenile Turf.

On Friday, he has mounts aboard Grace Hall in the Juvenile Fillies; It’s Tricky in the Ladies Classic; Stacelita in the Filly & Mare Turf; and Dayatthespa in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Dominguez was the leading rider at Delaware Park from 2003 through 2006 and 2008, before moving his tack to the New York circuit.  He holds the record for most wins during a Delaware Park season (254 in 2003) and he has won a total of 62 Delaware Park stakes including the 2001 and 2007 Delaware Handicaps. 

The Honorable Governor of Delaware, Jack Markell, has declared this Saturday, October 15, as Havre de Grace Day in honor of the locally-owned Delaware Certified filly.  The 4-year-old owned by Wilmington, Delaware native Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm, will make her next start in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Chruchill Downs on November 5.  A victory in the Classic would all but assure her Horse of the Year title and make her the first locally-based horse to win the award since Spectacular Bid won the award in 1980.

In celebration of the day, the first 1,000 fans that come out to Delaware Park will receive an 8x10 commemorative photo of Havre de Grace.

The presentation of the declaration will take place in paddock at Delaware Park after the fourth race. The Secretary of Agriculture for the State of Delaware will make the presentation.  Rick Porter will be available for an autograph session after the presentation at the White Tent in the Grove.

The event will add to a full card of live racing featuring four Delaware Certified Stake races.  The festivities are sponsored by Delaware Park and the Delaware Certified Thoroughbred Program.

After breaking her arm when her mount went down at Delaware Park on July 7^th, jockey Rosie Napravnik is set for her return to the saddle this Saturday. 

"I am very excited about riding again" said Rosie Napravnik.  "I have been working hard on getting fit and I am ready to ride.  I feel like I have done it all the right way.  I have given my wrist the time to heal properly, I have been working out and I have been breezing horses in the morning.  I am just really excited about getting back to riding.  I am planning on riding until the end of ther Delaware Park meet and then I am planning on returning to the Fair Grounds."

The 23-year-old native of Morristown, New Jersey, has five scheduled mounts at Delaware Park.  She is scheduled to ride in the second, third, seventh, eighth and ninth races.  First race post time for the nine race card, highlighted by four Delaware Certified Stakes worth $75,000 each, is 1:15 p.m.

Before the injury, Napravnik was leading the Delaware Park jockey standings with 36 wins.

Last year, Napravnik, became the first female leading rider in the history of Delaware Park by notching 126 winners during the season.  She followed by becoming the first female rider to win the jockey title at the Fair Grounds and also the first female rider to win the Louisiana Derby with her victory aboard Pants on Fire.

Napravnik recorded her first career victory aboard Ringofdiamonds at Pimlico on June 9, 2005.  She notched her 1,000^th career victory aboard Laughing Charlie at Delaware Park on October 27, 2010. 

The past, the present and the future of Delaware racing will be on full display like never before on horse racing's most important weekend of the year - the Breeders' Cup Championships on November 4 and 5.  Following in the tradition of Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex, Barbaro, Hard Spun, Eight Belles and Animal Kingdom, locally owned, trained, stabled, and raced horses are set to take center stage in the national spotlight at Churchill Downs.

And the stakes have never been higher. Instead of Triple Crown glory, year-end championship honors will be on the line.  The Eclipse Awards are voted on by the National Turf Writers and Racing Secretaries and will be announced on January 16.

A victory in the Classic on November 5 by Havre de Grace would all but assure the filly, owned by Wilmington, Delaware native Richard Porter's Fox Hill Farm, Horse of the Year honors.  The 4-year-old daughter of Saint Liam conditioned by J. Larry Jones would become the first local horse to achieve that feat since the legendary Spectacular Bid took the honors in 1980. Unlike "The Bid," she would become the first locally-based filly or mare to ever win the award, and only the sixth in the history of the sport, following in the footsteps of the most recent overall champions, Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta.

A victory in the Juvenile by Union Rags would all but assure the colt, owned by Chester County native Phyllis Wyeth, the 2-year-old championship honors and peg him as the early Kentucky Derby favorite.  The Kentucky-bred conditioned by Michael Matz would become the first local horse to achieve those feats since—you guessed it—Spectacular Bid achieved those honors in 1978.

Like Spectacular Bid, Havre de Grace prepared and campaigned at Delaware Park.

Havre de Grace was stabled at Delaware Park from April through late September.  She won the Grade III Obeah Stakes and then suffered her lone defeat of the year when she ran second, beaten by a nostril, against her arch-rival Blind Luck in what many have dubbed the "The Race of the Year" in the Grade II Delaware Handicap.  Undeterred, Havre de Grace followed with victories in the Woodward, against the boys, at Saratoga and the Beldame at Belmont.

“[Horse of the Year] could be determined in the Classic,” Jones said.  “That’s where it should be determined, on the racetrack.  It shouldn’t be bound to someone’s opinion.  If she wins the Classic, then definitely it’s a no-brainer that she is Horse of the Year.  But I don’t think for us to still be considered for Horse of the Year we necessarily have to win the Classic.  But we have to show up and run big.”

Shortly after winning the Beldame, Jones had nothing but praise for his filly.

“I seriously think this is the closest I’ve ever witnessed to the perfect race horse,” Jones said.  “I thought Secretariat was that when he retired.  If she has a flaw anywhere, anyhow, I haven’t found it.”

Like "the Bid," Union Rags raced at Delaware Park during his 2-year-old campaign.

In his career debut, Union Rags broke his maiden going five furlongs at Delaware Park on July 12.  The undefeated son of Dixie Union followed by winning the Grade II Saratoga Special and the Grade I Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park.

“He’s always acted like a nice horse from when we first got him,” Michael Matz told reporters shortly after Union Rags’ victory in the Champagne.  “I think he’s a real good horse.  Anytime you can win going five-eighths with me, you know they’re nice horses.  I’ve had horses on and off for Mrs. [Phyllis Wyeth], and she said to me, ‘I’m going to have a good one for you,’ and I think she does.”

“If everything goes well, we would like to go to the Breeders’ Cup,” said Matz “We haven’t mapped out a schedule for him; there is time for that.  But he will train at Fair Hill and go down to Churchill in sufficient time.”

But the Breeders' Cup pot goes even deeper for local racing enthusiasts.  With a victory in the Juvenile Fillies on November 4, Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and the Elkstone Group’s Grace Hall could become the first 2-year-old filly champion locally-owned since the brilliant filly Go For Wand, owned by Jane duPont Lunger's Christiana Stables, won the honor in 1989.

Grace Hall, undefeated in three career outings, broke her maiden at Delaware Park going six furlongs on July 30.  The daughter of Empire Maker conditioned by Anthony Dutrow then won the Grade I Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga.  In her most recent outing, the Kentucky-bred won the $75,000 Blue Hen Stakes at Delaware Park on October 1.

“I have to be happy right now,” said Anthony Dutrow after Grace Hall easily won the Blue Hen Stakes.  “It all went well and as expected.  I am not seeing anything that alarms me or concerns me.  It looked relatively easy for her.  I am really happy she has gained the two-turn experience.  Still, she has a lot to prove just like the rest of them, but I am feeling very good that she is well prepared going into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.”

After breaking her arm when he mount went down at Delaware Park on July 7^th, jockey Rosie Napravnik is set for her return to the saddle this Saturday.  The 23-year-old native of Morristown, New Jersey, has five scheduled mounts at Delaware Park.  She is scheduled to ride in the second, third, seventh, eighth and ninth races.  First race post time for the nine race card, highlighted by four Delaware Certified Stakes worth $75,000 each, is 1:15 p.m.

Before the injury, Napravnik was leading the Delaware Park jockey standings with 36 wins.

Last year, Napravnik, became the first female leading rider in the history of Delaware Park by notching 126 winners during the season.  She followed by becoming the first female rider to win the jockey title at the Fair Grounds and also the first female rider to win the Louisiana Derby with her victory aboard Pants on Fire.

Napravnik recorded her first career victory aboard Ringofdiamonds at Pimlico on June 9, 2005.  She notched her 1,000^th career victory aboard Laughing Charlie at Delaware Park on October 27, 2010. 

Brereton Jones’ Mr. Bowling notched his first career stakes victory in the $75,000 Dover Stakes at Delaware Park today. 

With Jose Caraballo aboard, the 2-year-old son of Istan won by 7 1/4-lengths and returned $4.00 as the favorite in the field of five.  The Kentucky-bred conditioned by J. Larry Jones covered the mile-and-seventy yards in 1:42.77 over a fast main track.

Doe, the only filly in the field with Sarah Rook, and Runnin Bull, with Edin Riveria, finished in a dead heat for second.

In his previous outing, Mr. Bowling broke his maiden at Delaware Park.  He sports a career record of two wins from three starts with earnings of $95,580.

PTK LLC’s Lemon Juice tops the $75,000 Dover Stakes to be run at Delaware Park this Saturday.  The one-mile-and-70-yard affair has attracted a field of eight 2-year-olds.

In his most recent, Lemon Juice posted a length triumph in the seven-furlong $100,000 Charles Town Juvenile on September 17.  Previously, the son of Johannesburg ran second, beaten 3 ¼-lengths in a five-and-a-half-furlong allowance at Laurel Park on September 9.^.  On July 23, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Dane Kobiskie broke his maiden going five-and-a-half-furlongs over the Colonial Downs turf.  He has a career record of three wins, two seconds and a third from six starts, with earnings of $102,105.  Lemon Juice will be part of the three horse PTK LLC coupling with Doe and Educator.

Brereton Jones’ Mr. Bowling will be stretching out and facing stakes competition for the first time.  In his most recent, the son of Istan broke his maiden by 2 ½-lengths going six- furlongs at Delaware Park on August 22.  In his only other career start, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by J. Larry Jones ran fourth in a six-furlong maiden at Delaware Park on August 1.

“He acts like a horse that wants to go on a little bit,” said Jones.  “He acts like he wants to go longer.  Although, he did his break his maiden in his second start going six-furlongs and laying close, but Jose (Caraballo) had to really ride him to keep him close.  He is from the first crop Istan, so I really do not know a lot about them right now and I am still trying to get a line on him as a sire.  There are several unknowns, but the horse acts like he wants to go long, so there is only one way to find out for sure.”

After posting an impressive win in the Grade I Spinaway, Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables’ and The Elkstone Group’s Grace Hall followed with an easy victory in the $75,000 Blue Hen Stakes at Delaware Park today.  The locally-stabled daughter of Empire Maker will make her next start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs on November 4^th.

With the current Delaware Park jockey Joseph Rocco Jr. aboard, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by locally-based trainer Anthony Dutrow scored a 5 ¾-length triumph and returned $2.80 as the favorite in the field of four.  She covered the mile and seventy yards in 1:42.36 over a fast main track to raise her record to three-for-three with earnings of $219,000.

“I have to be happy right now,” said winning trainer Anthony Dutrow.  “It all went well and as expected.  I am not seeing anything that alarms me or concerns me.  It looked relatively easy for her.  I am really happy she has gained the two-turn experience today.  She still has a lot to prove just like the rest of them, but I am feeling very good that she is well prepared going into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.”

Glinda the Good, with Michael Luzzi, finished second ¾-lengths in front of Always Here Too, with Javier Santiago, in third.

Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables and The Elkstone Group’s locally-stabled Grace Hall, the recent winner of the Grade I Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga, tops the $75,000 Blue Hen Stakes at Delaware Park this Saturday.  The mile-and-70-yard affair for 2-year-old fillies has attracted a field of seven.

In her most recent effort, the daughter of Empire Maker became the 23rd graded stakes winner since 2002 to break their maiden at Delaware Park when she notched a 1 ¾-length triumph in the seven-furlong $250,000 Spinaway Stakes on September 4.  In her only other career outing the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Anthony Dutrow notched a three-length score in a six-furlong maiden at Delaware Park on July 30.  She will be ridden by Joseph Rocco Jr., and she has been installed as the 6-to-5 morning-line favorite.

“The big thing is I want to get some two-turn experience into her,” said trainer Anthony Dutrow.  “It is not easy to find a two-turn spot for her because New York has the one-turn stakes and I could have gone to Keeneland, but I wanted to keep her on the dirt.  It is as simple as that, I want to get some two-turn experience in her and it was in our own backyard.  She is running here on Saturday.”

Anthony Dutrow has had more than one of the 23 who have broken their maidens to go on to win a graded stakes.

“It is really amazing that there have so many young really good horses that broken their maidens here,” he said.  “It is really not a fluke if you look at the large number of good horsemen around here.  There are some good solid trainers in the area that is for sure.”

Brereton Jones’ Believe You Can rates as the second choice.  In her last, the daughter of Proud Citizen scored a 4 ½-length triumph in a six-furlong allowance at Delaware Park on August 16.  Previously, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by J. Larry Jones broke her maiden by notching a neck victory in a six-furlong maiden at Delaware Park on July 12.  In her only other outing, she finished fourth in a five-furlong maiden at Monmouth Park on June 26.

“She is doing well,” said trainer J. Larry Jones.  “We have quite a bit of high hopes on Believe You Can.  She has always trained well.  She did not have a great race her first time, but she had a few excuses.  But after that, she has done real well, so we are expecting good things from her.”

The live racing card for Wednesday, September 28, at Delaware Park has been cancelled due to insufficient entries.  Live racing is scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday, September 27.  First race post time for the nine race card is 1:15 p.m.