Del Mar concluded its 11th Bing Crosby fall race meet Sunday with gains in all-sources handle and field size. The highlight of the fall session was the Breeders’ Cup World Championships held on November 1 and 2.
Total wagering for the recently concluded 14-day fall meet rose to $165.10 million as compared to $153.29 million for the 13-day 2023 fall season. Field size increased to 7.72 runners per race versus 7.43 in 2023. 2024 handle and field size results excluded races conducted over the two Breeders’ Cup cards.
The 2024 Breeders’ Cup, the third time Del Mar has hosted the World Championships, was a rousing success with domestic and international runners delivering some of the year’s top performances.
The nation’s premier fall season turf racing was conducted over Del Mar’s highly respected Jimmy Durante Turf Course and featured the popular Autumn Turf Festival – eight graded stakes races during the final two weekends of the meet.
Del Mar proudly continued its precedent-setting equine safety protocols – now followed by many other racing venues nationally – which once again produced one of the safest race meets in the country. Additionally, the Del Mar area’s reputation for fine weather again played to its best and racing was presented daily on “fast and firm” surfaces.”
“Our fall meet has grown into a marquee presence on the national racing calendar with the Autumn Turf Festival and of course the Breeders’ Cup this year and in 2025,” said Del Mar President Josh Rubinstein. “We are very appreciative of the continued support we receive from owners, trainers and horse players throughout the country.”
Jockey Juan Hernandez won his fifth straight Del Mar riding title and third fall session with 21 wins. Trainer Mark Glatt captured his first Del Mar training title with 14 victories. The leading owner was Augustin Stables with five wins.
The track’s unique program to feed the backstretch community continued through the Bing Crosby Season. With support from the California Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Foundation and the Oak Tree Racing Association, Del Mar provided free meals in a communal setting to the backstretch community each race day during the fall meet.
“In 2014 the Bing Crosby Meet stepped into the void left by Hollywood Park and quickly proved to be a game-changer for California racing," said Gary Fenton, Chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. "This meet boasts the second-highest average daily handle in the state, surpassed only by Del Mar’s summer meet. We appreciate the entire DMTC team for their unwavering contributions to California's horsemen and horsewomen.”
Del Mar has again been awarded the Breeders’ Cup in 2025. The World Championships will be conducted on October 31 and November 1 during the fall season, set to run from October 30 through November 30.