Competitive stakes top Delaware Park closing day
Wilmington, Endine top Saturday card
The Biz
October 16, 2026
Quint’s Brew could have waited another week for the Maryland Million. Instead, trainer Edward “Ned” Allard has entered him in a spot that offers a shorter commute and another chance to win at Delaware Park.
The Maryland-bred headlines Saturday’s $100,000 Wilmington Stakes, one of two six-furlong stakes on the Oct. 17 card. The $200,000 Endine, for fillies and mares, follows with a deep field featuring several graded stakes winners.
This article contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, we may earn a commission at no extra charge to you.
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
Quint’s Brew, the Wilmington’s 7-5 morning-line favorite, has not raced since finishing second to champion Book’em Danno in Monmouth Park’s Mr. Prospector July 17. He dueled for the lead before yielding by 1 1/4 lengths.
“He ran super in the Mr. Prospector and with a little bit of a different trip, I think we could have won that race,” Allard said. “Regardless, he ran a super race against a really nice horse and considering he has run quite a few times this year, I thought a little break would be good for him.”
The 5-year-old Mosler gelding has won four of seven starts this season, including Delaware’s Alapocas Run June 13. That day, he overcame traffic to prevail by a half-length in his only local appearance. His career record stands at eight wins from 15 starts, with earnings of $671,740.
The question facing Allard is: run here or in the Maryland Million?
“He is training super, doing really well and he is ready to run,” Allard said. “He is also eligible for the Maryland Million, which is a week later, but I would like to keep him at home in Delaware, so he does not have to ship. We are going to look real hard at race this Saturday.”
Forest Boyce retains the mount from post 1 in the nine-horse field.
Scorching, the 2-1 second choice, makes his first start for new trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. after winning Woodbine’s seven-furlong Elgin by 5 3/4 lengths Aug. 30. Paco Lopez rides the Ontario-bred, whose three wins have come on turf or synthetic surfaces. His lone dirt try produced a fourth-place finish in last year’s Prince of Wales.
Pride’s Prince offers proven local form at 10-1. Trained by Greg Compton, he is unbeaten in four Delaware starts, all this season, most recently edging Gianluca Be Lucky Sept. 24. Daniel Centeno rides.
The Endine presents a deeper puzzle, with 13 entered and Maida the 4-1 morning-line favorite.
Goodfellas LLC’s Improbable filly won Laurel’s Alma North by 10 1/2 lengths in June and then captured Saratoga’s Grade 2 Honorable Miss by 1 1/4 lengths. She subsequently faded to eighth after setting the pace in the Grade 1 Ballerina Aug. 29. Sheldon Russell rides for trainer Brittany Russell.
Cash Call, 5-1, brings consistent form for Bob Baffert and owner Edward A. Childs. Last year’s Grade 3 Summertime Oaks winner has finished second or third in three consecutive stakes, most recently running third in Churchill Downs’ Open Mind. Jaime Rodriguez has the mount.
Also 5-1 is Flint Stites trainee Icona Mama, who rallied to win the Liberty Bell at Parx Sept. 19 after finishing second in Charles Town’s Pink Ribbon. Andrew Wolfsont rides.
Joseph has three Endine entrants, including 6-1 Grammy Girl and 8-1 Mystic Lake, along with 15-1 Ultimate Authority. Grammy Girl won the Grade 3 Distaff and Vagrancy this spring but seeks to rebound from a last-place Ballerina finish. Mystic Lake, a winner of 13 races and more than $1.6 million, won Delaware’s Dashing Beauty last year to go with three prior graded stakes triumphs.
Grade 2 Raven Run winner Kappa Kappa adds further depth at 12-1 for trainer Robert E. Reid Jr.
The Wilmington is scheduled as race 8 at 4:35 p.m., with the Endine following at 5:07.
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
LATEST NEWS
