Wilmington, Del., May 28 – Averill Racing, Two Eight Racing and Anthony Mattera’s R Disaster tops a field of nine in the $100,000 Rehoboth Stakes at Delaware Park this Saturday. The six-furlong affair for fillies and mares is the first stake in the Distaff Big Three Sprint Series. The second race in the series is the $125,000 Dashing Beauty Stakes on July 17 and the final race is the $150,000 Endine Stakes on September 27.

R Disaster has never been worse than second in eight career outings. In her most recent, she finished second in the six and a half furlong $175,000 Grade III Vagrancy at Belmont at Aqueduct on May 4. Previously, the 4-year-old daughter of Awesome Slew finished second in the six and a half furlong $165,000 Grade III Herecomesthebride at Gulfstream Park on March 8. In her only other outing this year, she the won a six-furlong allowance by 3-lengths at Gulfstream Park on January 18. In 2024, she posted a record of three wins and two seconds from five starts.

After notching her first career victory in a six-furlong $25,000 maiden claiming event last year, James Riccio and Gerard Artz’s Pleasant Embrace is riding a four-race win streak with each successive victory more impressive than the last, but it is what she has done in her last two that has her trainer Kelly Breen encouraged for her first career stake race.

“She had a few issues toward the end of last season, so we gave her a little bit of time and when she came back from that break, she came back much stronger and mature,” her trainer Kelly Breen said. “Everything about her was bigger, stronger, faster and sharper. She came back like the Bionic Woman. Since then, she has just been rolling and she has answered every question we have given so far, so this is as good a time as any to find out if she can take it to another level.”

The 4-year-old daughter of Bucchero completed her 2024 campaign with a record of four wins, a second and a third from seven starts with victories in her last two starts. After being given a four-month break, she won both of her outings in 2025 going six furlongs at Gulfstream Park by a combined margin of 13 1/4-lengths.

2025 LIVE RACING DATES – Racing will be conducted on a Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday weekly format for most of the meet through October 11. Live racing will be conducted on Friday on the following dates: June 6, June 13, July 4, July 11, July 18, July 2, August 1, August 8 and August 15. Live racing is not scheduled on Wednesday, September 17 and Wednesday, September 24. Daily first race post time is set for 12:35 p.m.
Beach Day celebrating the tradition of racing and the Delaware beaches is this Saturday. Stakes and overnight races will be named after famous shore points in the First State. Plus, a beach towel and carabiner sunblock set giveaway while supplies last and a $10,000 guaranteed Middle Pick 5 pool.
Delaware Derby & Oaks Day is on June 14, Reggae in the Park is slated for June 22, Live Exotic Animal Races will be on July 4, NHC Handicapping Contest will be on July 5 and DelCap weekend is set for September 27th & 28th.

$100,000 Rehoboth Stakes.
For 3-year-olds & upward
Fillies and mares
at six furlongs
PP HORSE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY Wg ODDS
1 Miss Harriet Narrow Leaf Farm Brandon McFarlane Forest Boyce 121 12-1
2 Sunday Girl Mitre Box Stable, Cle David Dugan Katie Davis 125 6-1
3 Drifaros My Purple Haze Stabl Teresa Pompay Jamie Rodgriuez 121 12-1
4 R Disaster Averill Racing, Two E Saffie Joseph Jr Jorge Ruiz 125 3-1
5 Socially Selective Nine Thirty Racing William Mott Junior Alvarado 121 4-1
6 Pleasant Embrace Riccio, Artz Kelly Breen Luis Riveria Jr 125 6-1
7 St Benedicts Prep Ronald Stewart Linda Rice Jose Lezcano 121 5-1
8 Reagan’s Flames Watkins Diamonds Stable Lindsay Schultz Martin Chuan 121 10-1
9 Alani Hardesty Stabl & Mic Michael Moore Frankie Pennington 123 8-1