The Delaware harness racing circuit will return to the state’s capital city on Monday, Nov. 2, when Bally’s Dover kicks off its 2026-27 meet.
The 83-day stand, which runs through April 1, 2027, features live harness racing on a Monday-through-Thursday schedule with a daily post time of 4:30 p.m. The only exceptions to this schedule are dark days on U.S. Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 26) and the entire week of Dec. 21-24.
More than $1.3 million USD in purses will be contested in Grand Circuit events during November, headed by the $300,000 USD Progress Pace for three-year-olds on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Additionally, the Matron Stakes will bring the sport’s top two- and three-year-olds to Bally’s Dover, with all four rookie divisions taking place on Thursday, Nov. 5 and all four sophomore sections on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Delaware-sired horses will square off in the final Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund Series of 2026 through November and December. The $110,000 USD championship races for two-year-olds will take place from Nov. 19-25, followed by the three-year-old finals the week of Dec. 14-17.
Pre-meet qualifiers will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 27, beginning at 10 a.m.; entries are due to the race office by Monday, Oct. 26, no later than noon. During the meet, qualifiers will take place weekly on Wednesdays beginning at 10 a.m., with entries due to the race office the preceding day no later than 11 a.m.
The opening day program will also be drawn on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The weekly draw schedule is as follows:
Race Day - Draw Day
Monday - Tuesday
Tuesday - Wednesday
Wednesday - Thursday
Thursday - Monday
Entries are due to the race office no later than 11 a.m. each day.
Condition sheets will be posted throughout the meet at horsemen.ustrotting.com. Horsepeople are encouraged to use the United States Trotting Association Online Entry system. To contact the race office, call 302-857-3230 on race days between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Bally’s Dover is located at 1131 North DuPont Highway in Dover, Del., minutes off Exit 104 on Delaware Route 1.
(Bally's Dover)