DTRC

An owner/trainer and an assistant trainer/groom at Delaware Park on Tuesday both were granted stays of penalties imposed last Friday for alleged neglect of horses their care. Owner/trainer Ney Pessanha, 38, had appeared at a hearing before the Delaware stewards Sept. 17 to respond to allegations of "improper or inhumane treatment of horses" after the stewards "had received complaints from horsemen, outriders, the Safety Steward, private veterinarians, and regulatory veterinarians," according to a Sept. 20 Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC) ruling. On the same date, assistant/groom Nilo Pessanha, 44, had...

For the second time in the past week, Delaware Park cancelled a live racing card due to the heat and moved the card as drawn to a different day. The latest Delaware Park live racing day to fall victim to excessive heat is the card scheduled for Wednesday, July 10. Acting upon the recommendation of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC) veterinarians and stewards, Delaware has moved the entire card to Thursday, July 11, when the temperature should abate somewhat. The heat index in the area, according to the National...

The Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC) approved the 2024 Delaware Park live racing dates, punctuated by a $2.75 million stakes schedule. The 87th live racing season--featuring 75 days beginning on Wednesday, May 15 and concluding Saturday, Oct. 12--will be highlighted by the $500,000 GII Delaware H. July 7. For the first time since 2009, the Delaware H. will be run on a Sunday, highlighting a festival weekend of racing that includes the $250,000 GIII Robert G. Dick S. on the July 7 undercard. The $300,000 GII Delaware Oaks will kick...

Jockey Raul E. Mena is appealing a 15-day suspension and $1,000 fine imposed by the Delaware Park stewards after a "failure to give best effort" ruling was lodged against him following a last-place finish aboard a 1-for-19 filly who trailed at every call in a $5,000 NW2L claiming sprint June 28. Sarah Crane, the executive director of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC), confirmed in an email that Mena, 31, has been granted a stay of his penalties until a Sept. 19 hearing. But Crane declined an opportunity to address...

Acting upon the recommendation of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC) veterinarians in conjunction with the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) air quality guidelines, Delaware Park has cancelled its live racing card scheduled for today, the track said in a release Thursday. Live racing is scheduled to resume tomorrow, Friday, June 30th. Poor air quality also prompted officials at JACK Thistledown and at Charles Town to call off their live racing programs Thursday. Live racing has been cancelled for Thursday, June 29th due to deteriorating air quality. AQI...