All data was manually compiled and is subject to human error.
Introduction
The Delaware Handicap is a 10 furlong race over the dirt for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up at Delaware Park. First run in 1937, it’s frequently referred to as the Del Cap.
A note to screen reader users. The interactive charts on this site are built using Google Charts. There are two major elements to each chart, the images used to display the chart and a tabular representation of the data within the chart. Unfortunately the charts are structured to announce all of the images before announcing the tabular data. In some cases this will mean upwards of 50 images get announced before the data. If you'd like to provide feedback please visit the Accessibility Statement for information.
Below is a look at data from a variety of angles to see what has produced winners in the Delaware Handicap from 1991-2018.
Charts are interactive, hover over or touch bars and lines for more information.
Odds are shown as listed in the results charts. Hover-over or touch each bar for $2 payout.
Outliers Night Fax (1995 odds of 26.6-1), Power Play (1997 odds of 27.8-1) and Amarillo (1998 odds of 41.9-1) have been excluded from the chart below to allow for better overall visualization. Outliers are included in the averages and medians.
2017 winner Songbird went off odds 1-9, or $1 odds of $0.05 and paid $2.10 to win. The small size of the amount makes it hard to hover or touch the bar for more information..
1991-2018
Average $1 Odds:
$6.20
Median $1 Odds:
$2.20
2010-2018
Average $1 Odds:
$1.30
Median $1 Odds:
$.60
1991-2018
Average $2 Win:
$14.40
Median $2 Win:
$6.40
2010-2018
Average $2 Win:
$4.60
Median $2 Win:
$3.20
Delaware Handicap Bettors’ Choice and Field Size 1991-2018
Bettors’ Choice is the ranked order of the field by final odds: The favorite is the first choice, the second favorite is the second choice and so on. For example, 1991 winner Crowned was 2nd choice in a 8 horse field.
To read the charts below, 0 on the vertical axis is the lead, any distance behind the leader is below 0 and any distance above 0 is the amount the leader is ahead of the next horse. At the bottom are the points of call as they correspond to the charts. Each line is a horse, and you can hover over the point of call for each line to see more information about the horse.
For example, if you hover over the bottom-most line in the first chart, at the 1/2 mile mark you’ll see that 1993 winner Green Darlin was 15 lengths behind the leader at this point in the race.
Position at the 1/2 mile mark
Speed:
In the lead
Presser/Stalker:
Between .1 and 3 lengths off leader
Off the pace:
Between 3 and 6 lengths off the leader
Deep closer:
More than 6 lengths off the leader
The Delaware Handicap has been predominately won by early speed and stalker/pressers since 1991 but in the last 10 years speed has had the edge winning 40% of the time.
A closer look at winning running styles by decade.
The majority of Delaware Handicap winners have come from a handful of tracks since 1991, four of the seven wins from Churchill Downs occurred in the last 10 years.
Days Since Last Race 1991-2018
Average Days Since Last Race:
37.27
Median Days Since Last Race:
29
Delaware Handicap Winners Placing in Prior Race 1991-2018
Only 35.9% of Delaware Handicap winners have come in on a win since 1991, which is notably lower than winners from our previously published Stakes Profiles, but in the last 10 years 60% of winners came in on a win.
The majority of winners and starters since 1991 have been Since 1991 there have only been 4- and 5-year-old winners of the Delaware Handicap, and there have been no 3-year-old starters in the time frame.
Numbers over 1 outperform expected value and numbers less than 1 underperform expected value. Learn more about how A/E ratio is calculated and how it should be interpreted.
While 4-year-olds have won much more often than 5-year-olds, comparing the win rate of each group relative to the amount of starters shows them to be pretty evenly matched with 4-year-olds winning 13.8% of the time and 5-year-olds winning 14.1% of the time.
Delaware Handicap Multiple Winners & Run Backs 1991-2018
Royal Delta (2012-2013) and Elate (2018-2019) are the only two-time winners in since 1991. A total of 15 individual starters have made more than one start in the Delaware Handicap since 1991.
A run back is defined as a starter who made a prior start in the race.
Starters who have made a previous start in the Delaware Handicap have not performed particularly well, winning only 13.3% of the time. Run backs have done a little better if you look at in the money finishes, hitting the board 40% of the time since 1991.
The Delaware Handicap has generally been a formful race since 1991 but especially so in the last 10 years.
The average winning odds since 1991 are 6.4-1 with a median of 2.2-1 and an average $14.40 payout for a $2 win ticket. Since 2010 those averages have dipped to 1.3-1 odds with a median of $.60 and $4.60 to win.
Favorites have outperformed the generally accepted average favorite win rate of 35% to win 41.3% of the time since 1991. In the last 10 years the favorite has won 70% of the time. The winner on average has been almost 3rd choice (2.61) since 1991 but has dropped to about 2nd choice since 2010 (1.73).
Speed and stalker/pressers have won equally (34.4%) since 1991 but in last 10 years speed has had the edge to win 40% of the time.
The majority of both winners and starters have been 4-year-olds. 5-year-olds have not entered as often as 4-year-olds but have won almost as often when comparing wins relative to numbers of starts. There have been no 3-year-olds entered since 1991. Starters who have made a prior start in the Delaware Handicap, known as run backs, have won 13.3% of the time and run in the money 40% of the time.
Winners have some from a range of tracks since 1991 but four of the seven winners from Churchill Downs did so in the last 10 years. Since 1991 the average field size has been slightly above the 2017 average of 7.7 starters with an average of 8 starters, but since 2010 that number has dropped dramatically to 6.5 average starters.
