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Delaware Park Racetrack Horse Racing
Active races and results can be found at the Delaware Park horse betting page.
Length of stretch from last turn to finish line: 995 feet
Width of track: 100 feet
Inner turf course: 7 furlongs
Feels Like:
Humidity:
Wind: NW at 6 mph
Bodog Racebook Payout Limits
Max per Race Payout: $10,000U.S. Graded Stakes Races at Delaware Park
| Date | Race | Grade | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 12, 2008 | Delaware Oaks | II | Distaff |
| July 13, 2008 | Delaware Handicap | II | Distaff |
About Delaware Park Racetrack
Wilmington, Delaware, is home to Delaware Park Racetrack.
The original Delaware Park facilities consisted of an open-air, 7,500-seat grandstand, with an innovative tiered Clubhouse/ Turf Club on the upper level. In 1943, the track was forced to close briefly due to World War II. After reopening in 1944, the track became profitable for the first time, with a handle of more than $23 million.
In 1958, a $2.8-million expansion on the track was completed. This included a new clubhouse and the enlargement of the grandstand, which doubled its seating capacity. Due to the park's prime location, it became the summer haven for racing fans through the Middle Atlantic region. Trainloads of racegoers came from throughout the country, with scores of buses rolling in daily from Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York.
As more states and counties in the surrounding region began to develop their own tracks, Delaware Park suffered financially. On Sept. 6, 1982, the track was forced to close. In the winter of 1985, William Rickman Sr. took control of Delaware Park, determined to turn the dying track around. Under his direction, Delaware Park was able to produce a marginal increase in handle, and was successful in meeting an onslaught of competition from neighboring states over the next several years.
Delaware responded aggressively to counter this "war" on racing markets. Track general manager John E. Mooney adopted the successful Twin Trifecta wager from Suffolk Downs, becoming the first area facility to offer the exciting wager. A then-record payoff of nearly $700,000 generated massive publicity and let fans know that Delaware Park was still on the map. The Park also took advantage of its trackside picnic grove by developing a series of family-oriented promotions that were successful in attracting a new breed of fan.
With the inclusion of Arabian racing to the track, Delaware continued to grow. By 1995, it had either surpassed or at least reached a similar margin to its competitors within the region. By the end of that same year, Delaware opened its first slot facility. As a result, Delaware Park was transformed from a dying track, into a profitable frontrunner.