Dover Downs today released its 2009 schedule for the Progress Pace, Matron Stakes and Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) races.
Dover's 41st season begins on Sunday, November 1. The track will feature live racing six days a week, with Fridays designated as dark days, through April 15, 2010.
The prestigious Matron will kick off the lucrative stakes season on the first Saturday (November 7) of the six-month-long meet. The track's signature event, the $450,000 (estimated) Progress Pace, will follow on November 8. The Matrons and the final of the Progress Pace are slated for the following weekend.
The First State's top two-year-olds will vie in rich DSBF events to close out the 2009 stakes program.
The schedule appears below.
2009 Progress Pace
Date-Day-Event-Est. Purse
11/8-Sunday-3-year-old Pace-Elim-$25,000
11/15-Sunday-3-year-old Pace-Final-$350,000
11/15-Sunday-Pace-Consolation-$25,000
Matron Stakes
Date-Day-Event-Est. Purse
11/7-Saturday-2-year-old Filly Pace-Elim-$70,000
11/7-Saturday-2-year-old Filly Trot-Elim-$70,000
11/7-Saturday-2-year-old Colt Pace-Elim-$75,000
11/7-Saturday-2-year-old Colt Trot-Elim-$75,000
11/8-Sunday-3-year-old Filly Pace-Elim-$60,000
11/8-Sunday-3-year-old Filly Trot-Elim-$75,000
11/8-Sunday-3-year-old Colt Trot-Elim-$75,000
11/14-Saturday-2-year-old Filly Trot-Final-$200,000
11/14-Saturday-2-year-old Colt Pace-Final-$265,000
11/14-Saturday-2-year-old Colt Trot-Final-$200,000
11/14-Saturday-2-year-old Filly Pace-Final-$230,000
11/15-Sunday-3-year-old Filly Pace-Final-$200,000
11/15-Sunday-3-year-old Filly Trot-Final-$225,000
11/15-Sunday-3-year-old Colt Trot-Final-$220,000
11/22-Sunday-3-year-old Colt Pace-Elim-$70,000
11/29-Sunday-3-year-old Colt Pace-Final-$235,000
2009 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF)
Date-Day-Event-Est. Purse
11/21-Saturday-2-year-old Filly Pace-1-$20,000
11/21-Saturday-2-year-old Filly Trot-1-$20,000
11/22-Sunday-2-year-old Colt Pace-1-$20,000
11/22-Sunday-2-year-old Colt Trot-1-$20,000
11/28-Saturday-2-year-old Filly Pace-2-$20,000
11/28-Saturday-2-year-old Filly Trot-2-$20,000
11/29-Sunday-2-year-old Colt Pace-2-$20,000
11/29-Sunday-2-year-old Colt Trot-2-$20,000
12/5-Saturday-2-year-old Filly Pace Final-$100,000G
12/5-Saturday-2-year-old Filly Trot Final-$100,000G
12/6-Sunday-2-year-old Colt Pace Final-$100,000G
12/6-Sunday-2-year-old Colt Trot Final-$100,000G
The 2010 DSBF will take place in late March and early April
The same race days and starting times will prevail in 2009-10: Monday through Thursday, first-race post time 4:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday racing will begin at 5:30 p.m. No live racing is held on Fridays.
(With files from Dover)