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They’re off! New Delaware Derby highlights 2025 horse racing season at Delaware Park

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They’re off! New Delaware Derby highlights 2025 horse racing season at Delaware Park


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It’s time to pull back the curtain on the 88th season of live thoroughbred racing at Delaware Park.

A nine-horse field is scheduled to go to the post at 12:35 p.m. on May 14, the first of eight races scheduled on the opener of 75 live racing days through Oct. 11.

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A lot of familiar faces will be returning among the jockeys and trainers scheduled to compete, but there are some schedule changes and a new stakes race that should add some excitement at the Stanton oval.

Racing schedule

Racing will be held weekly on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday for most of the meet, although there will be no racing on May 15.

Friday racing will be added on May 30, June 6 and 13, and each Friday from July 4 through Aug. 15. Two Sunday cards – on Sept. 14 and Sept. 28 – will also be held.

First post time will be 12:35 on each racing day.

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Big new race: The Delaware Derby

It won’t rival the big one in Kentucky, but Delaware Park is finally throwing its hat – in this case a derby – into the ring with a new race that could attract some of the horses who ran in America’s most famous race on May 3.

The inaugural $200,000 Delaware Derby will be held on Saturday, June 14 as part of a card including the Grade III, $300,000 Delaware Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile test for 3-year-old fillies that is traditionally the track’s second-biggest race.

The 1 1/16-mile Delaware Derby could potentially attract some colts who ran in the Kentucky Derby and/or Preakness who could see a win in Delaware as a springboard to bigger 3-year-old summer targets, like the Haskell Stakes in July at Monmouth Park or the Travers Stakes at Saratoga in August.

The track will have several promotions on Delaware Derby Day, including T-shirt and hat giveaways while supplies last, a Delaware-themed derby and bonnet hat contest, special Delaware-themed cocktails served in commemorative cups, and kids activities including pony rides, balloon sculptures and face painting in the grove.

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Delaware Handicap moves to fall

The Grade III Delaware Handicap, which has traditionally been run in early July, will be contested on Sunday, Sept. 28. The track’s biggest race will have a purse of $400,000.

The DelCap has also been shortened to 1 ⅛ miles for only the second time in its 88-year history. The race was contested at 1¼ miles – known as a rarely long distance for fillies and mares – in every year but one from 1951-2022.

Delaware Park officials shortened the race to 1 3/16 miles two years ago, and cut another 16th of a mile this year.

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The new date and distance could position the Delaware Handicap as a prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, which is also 1 ⅛ miles and will be run five weeks later, on Nov. 1, at Del Mar in southern California.

Leading trainer returns

The race for leading trainer may end on the opening day of the meet.

Jamie Ness has led in wins in each of the last 10 years, and 12 times overall. He has horses entered in five of the eight races on the May 14 card, while no other trainer has more than three entered.

“We have been doing this for 25 years and we have slowly built this up,” Ness told Delaware Park racing information coordinator Chris Sobocinski. “We are in a region that allows me to have strings at multiple tracks and still be able to manage it right. Delaware Park is the central spot, which is why it’s pretty much our home base.”

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Ness has won at nearly a 25 percent clip over the last five years at Delaware Park, with an average payoff of $5.50. Last year, his entries won at a 30 percent rate on both the dirt and turf courses. He won 49 percent of the time with favorites, 23 percent with 2-year-olds, 31% with 3-year-olds and 28% with maidens and claimers.

In other words, every time he sends one out, pay attention.

Don’t sleep on this trainer

Greg Compton doesn’t have the sheer number of horses to compete with Ness, but he finished a career-high sixth in the Delaware Park trainer standings last year and is returning to Stanton after finishing fifth at the ultra-competitive meet at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, this spring.

“We should be coming to Delaware with between 40 to 50 horses that we think will help the program from top to bottom pretty well,” Compton told Sobocinski.

Compton has the potential to have two strong entries – Kinzie Queen and G W’s Girl – in the Delaware Oaks. He also trains Auto Glide, who won the $175,000 Battery Park Stakes at Delaware Park last year.

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Other prominent trainers expected to compete in Stanton this year include Edward Allard, Lynn Ashby, Brett Brinkman, Keri Brion, Gary Capuano, Gary Contessa, Cathal Lynch, Graham Motion, Kerri Raven, McLean Robertson, Andrew Simoff, Michael Stidham and Karin Wagner.

Jockeys to watch

Five of the top seven finishers in last year’s jockey standings – Jaime Rodriguez, Julio Hernandez, Carol Cedeno, Jose Batista and Daniel Centeno – are scheduled to ride at least once on the opening day card.

A new rider to watch is Martin Chuan, who finished 14th with 13 winners at Oaklawn Park this spring and has been riding recently at Laurel and Penn National.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on X: @BradMyersTNJ. Follow us on Instagram: @DEGameDay

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Delaware not quite up to FBS, Conference USA standards in 59-30 loss at Liberty

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Delaware not quite up to FBS, Conference USA standards in 59-30 loss at Liberty


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LYNCHBURG, Va. – For the first time this year, Delaware looked out of its league.

That was bound to happen at some point for the Blue Hens, first-year members of Conference USA and the Football Bowl Subdivision that they are.

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And it shouldn’t come as a great surprise that their exposure came on the campus of Liberty University, inside Williams Stadium, against a scenic Appalachian Mountains backdrop to the west.

It was truly a perfect college football setting in which Delaware’s imperfections were revealed.

That Liberty, who took an unbeaten record to the Fiesta Bowl just two years ago, was the opponent who uncovered the Blue Hens’ flaws was only a bit surprising. The Flames had not been their usual ferocious selves this year.

Based on its recent performances, it actually appeared Delaware had a prayer against the Flames.

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Those answered, however, were the exclusive domain of evangelically rooted Liberty on this day, which showed no mercy for each Delaware indiscretion in its 59-30 romp.

There were a multitude of those, including Delaware having to settle for three points instead of earning six or seven three times in the first half, with failed execution and penalties among the culprits there. It sent Delaware into halftime down 28-9.

And Liberty surely took advantage of each shortcoming while also running roughshod over the Blue Hens. Evan Dickens ran for a career-high 217 yards and four touchdowns, including his 72-scoring sprint on the second play of the second half.

It put Liberty ahead 35-9, which had to feel eerily familiar to the Blue Hens. They’d fallen behind 35-6 in their 38-25 loss at Jacksonville State Oct. 15.

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Delaware did appear more overmatched in this one, however, and again went about inflating its passing stats while playing catchup.

“It’s just an all-around butt whoopin’ is what it was,” coach Ryan Carty said afterward.

Particularly pivotal moments occurred in the second quarter. Down 14-6 with fourth-and-6 at its own 28, Delaware attempted a fake punt on which Gavin Moul took the snap and then pitched to K.T. Seay.

Liberty wasn’t fooled, dropping Seay for a 7-yard loss. The Flames scored two plays later to go up 14-6.

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“It was a terrible call in hindsight,” Carty said. “So that is what it is. Sometimes you make those  . . . It was just a well-defended play. But the look that we saw was conducive to it and the kid made a nice play, kind of ran right into it.”

Delaware did punt on its next series and almost had quarterback Ethan Vasko sacked on a third-and-8 at his 47 before he completed a 17-yard pass. Then, on a 19-yard catch that put Liberty at the 1, Seay appeared to have forced a fumble on which the ball hit the pylon – which would have been a touchback giving Delaware possession – but referees and replay officials ruled otherwise.

That was extremely pivotal. A touchdown there and another following an interception quickly put the Flames in command 28-6. It seemed like Delaware’s likelihood of winning had nearly vanished in an instant.

That’s where it’s important to remember that, as well as Delaware played to beat UConn and Florida International and nearly stun Western Kentucky, the Hens are first-year CUSA members. They’ve had one recruiting class and some transfer portal additions to build on what was already a very good FCS-level roster.

But this business of big-time college football is pitiless. Opportunity must be seized. Muscle and speed and smarts must be met with more of each.

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 And mistakes get magnified, especially against a foe as formidable as Liberty.

 On Nov. 1, they amplified the fact that, for Delaware, the 2025 seasons is an initiation and the Hens still have a lot to learn.

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.



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Delaware judge allows school districts to issue higher commercial tax rates

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Delaware judge allows school districts to issue higher commercial tax rates


What are journalists missing from the state of Delaware? What would you most like WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

The Delaware Court of Chancery threw out a lawsuit regarding recent New Castle County property reassessments, clearing the way for updated tax bills to go out in November.

The original post-assessment property tax bills were sent out in July. State lawmakers, reacting to massive backlash from homeowners facing high tax bills, approved a statute in an August special session that allowed county school districts to issue higher rates for commercial properties for the 2025-2026 tax year, similar to what the county and city of Wilmington had already implemented.

New Castle County school districts then promptly issued new tax warrants, with the tax rates for nonresidential properties climbing from 35% to 80%, while lowering rates for residential properties.

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Apartment trade organizations and mobile home operators challenged the new law in September, calling it unconstitutional. Chancery Court Vice Chancellor Lori Will heard arguments in the case on Oct. 20.

The plaintiffs had six arguments, including that the statute violated the state constitution’s uniformity clause, that it was “regressive” and that it unlawfully shifted the tax burden from homeowners onto lower-income renters and residents of manufactured homes. They also argued school districts illegally benefited from increased tax revenue without first holding a referendum.

Will rejected those arguments, saying the General Assembly has the authority to create and change classes of property.

Will said lawmakers’ concerns that homeowners would be less likely to be able to afford tax hikes than commercial properties was reasonable.

“Our constitution does not demand perfection from a tax system,” she wrote in her opinion. “To be unconstitutional, the system’s flaws must be pervasive and systemic, meaning that they are widespread and built into the system itself.”

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Will also dismissed plaintiffs’ surprise revelation in early October that New Castle County was moving to reclassify more than 1,400 properties, shifting more than $1 billion in assessed value from residential to commercial.

“The isolated examples of misclassification are correctable administrative errors, not evidence of a system deliberately designed to be non-uniform,” she wrote.



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Wound Care Delaware Launches Mobile Wound Care Service

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Wound Care Delaware Launches Mobile Wound Care Service


NEWARK, DE – October 27, 2025 – PRESSADVANTAGE –

Wound Care Delaware today announced the launch of a mobile wound care service effective October 27, 2025, expanding access to clinical wound assessment and treatment across Delaware. The program operates from the organization’s medical clinic at 1101 Twin C Lane, Suite 201A, Newark, DE 19713, and is designed to bring licensed clinicians to patient residences and care facilities in coordination with referring providers.

“The new service enables the clinical team to deliver wound evaluation and procedures in residential and facility settings while maintaining continuity with the clinic,” said Dr. John Ashby, physician at Wound Care Delaware. “The model emphasizes coordination with primary care, specialty practices, and case managers to support timely scheduling and documentation within established care plans.”

Wound Care Delaware operates a brick-and-mortar medical clinic that serves as the logistical base for mobile deployment. The clinic schedules visits, verifies coverage, and coordinates referrals. The mobile teams travel to patient residences, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities under physician oversight. The program incorporates documentation that aligns with referring provider instructions and plan of care requirements.

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The mobile service follows a standard visit structure that includes intake, assessment, and procedure documentation. Clinicians record wound characteristics, materials used, and follow-up intervals in the patient record. The team communicates with referring offices regarding visit outcomes and next steps. This structure supports continuity across settings and reduces duplicate appointments. The objective is consistent record keeping within existing treatment plans.

The organization states that the service footprint includes communities throughout Delaware. The clinic address remains 1101 Twin C Lane, Suite 201A, Newark, DE 19713. The main line is (302) 404-2541. The scheduling team assigns routes based on geographic clusters and provider availability. The mobile units operate on weekdays with the capacity to adjust hours for facility coordination. The service integrates with transportation and building access policies at each location to meet compliance and safety requirements.

The clinical scope includes assessment of acute and chronic wounds as defined by referring providers. The team performs wound measurements, dressing changes, and related procedures that fall within licensure and policy. The program supports transitions of care following hospital discharge when wound care tasks are ordered for the home setting. Records from mobile visits are retained with clinic records to maintain a single chart. This approach enables a consolidated history for case review.

Wound Care Delaware maintains procedures that address consent, privacy, and infection control. Staff utilize protective equipment according to policy. Instruments and materials are handled in accordance with manufacturer instructions. Documentation is completed in an electronic record that supports secure data retention. The organization conducts periodic reviews of visit notes for completeness and consistency. Staff education covers route planning, equipment management, and incident reporting.

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The program’s operational design centers on coordination with existing care teams. Referring clinicians transmit orders to the clinic, and the scheduling team assigns a visit window. The mobile team confirms entry instructions with the residence or facility. After the visit, the team transmits notes to the referring office. This process aligns tasks among providers and reduces administrative delays. The model is intended to keep the plan of care intact across settings.

Wound Care Delaware began developing the mobile capability to address logistical barriers that can arise for patients with limited mobility or transportation. The clinic serves as a point of contact for questions about routes, referrals, and documentation. The organization notes that the mobile service will adapt as referral patterns evolve. The clinical team will evaluate routing, equipment, and staffing on a recurring basis to match demand. The goal is reliable scheduling and consistent documentation.

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For more information about Wound Care Delaware, contact the company here:

Wound Care Delaware
Dr. John Ashby
(302) 404-2541
office@woundcaredelaware.com
1101 Twin C Ln Ste 201a
Newark, DE 19713

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