SUMMER STAKES SCHEDULE MIRRORS 2022
Del Mar’s lucrative stakes schedule kicks off Friday with the traditional Opening Day feature, the $100,000 Caesars Sportsbook Oceanside, a one mile test for 3-year-olds on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. It’s the start of a stakes line-up that keeps intact last year’s record-breaking summer of stakes racing: 39 stakes races in 31 days, worth $8,275,000.
As has been the case for the past 32 years, the $1 million Fanduel Racing Pacific Classic will be the marquee race of the meet, won last year by Horse of the Year Flightline. The Grade I Classic will be run on Labor Day weekend, Saturday September 2.
“This year we are running identical dates,” racing secretary David Jerkens says. “The experiment of running the Pacific Classic on Labor Day weekend I thought went well so we’ll be doing that again this year.”
It’s one of six Grade 1 races slated for the upcoming meet. The first, the Bing Crosby, will be run Saturday, July 29. The 6-furlong sprint brings together some of the quickest horses on the grounds and it’s the first of six Breeders’ Cup Challenge races on the Del Mar docket this season.
The Grade 1 parade at Del Mar continues with the Clement Hirsch on Saturday, August 5 and the Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday, August 19. The remaining Grade 1’s are reserved for the top 2-year-olds, the fillies in the Debutante on Saturday, September 9 and the Futurity, run on the final day of the summer meet Sunday, September 10.
The six races from the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series scheduled to be run at Del Mar this year provide the winners an automatic (and paid) entry to the Breeders’ Cup. In addition to the Bing Crosby, the Clement Hirsch is a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff; the Pacific Classic for the BC Classic; the G2 Pat O’Brien on Saturday, August 26 for the Dirt Mile; the G3 Green Flash Handicap for the Turf Sprint and the G2 Del Mar Handicap for the Breeders’ Cup Turf. The last two named ones will be run on Saturday, September 2. All are gateways to the championship races at Santa Anita this November.
The Labor Day weekend is chock full of stakes races beginning Saturday with the Pacific Classic Day lineup which now, with the addition of the G3 Torrey Pines, showcases five graded stakes. Sunday will contain a pair of 3-year-old stakes races, the $125,000 Shared Belief for dirt horses and the G2 Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby for grass runners. Then on Monday, two more stakes…the $125,000 Generous Portion for 2-year-olds and the $100,000 Tranquility Lake for fillies and mares.
Ten of the stakes races on the docket at Del Mar this year are devoted to the newcomers to the circuit, the 2-year olds, highlighted by the Debutante and Futurity. There’s also the G3 Best Pal on Sunday August 13 and the G3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf, which precedes the Futurity on closing day.
Other stakes races worth noting include the G2 San Clemente for 3-year old fillies on the grass on Saturday, July 22 and the G3 Cougar II for long distance runners on Sunday July 23. The G2 San Diego, the local prep for the Pacific Classic, will be run on Saturday, July 29. The next day, Sunday July 30, top grass runners take to the turf in the G2 Eddie Read. The top female grass runners compete in the G2 Yellow Ribbon on Saturday, August 12 and the G2 John C. Mabee on Saturday, September 9.
There are plenty of stakes for Cal-breds. Eight to be exact worth $1,150,000.
19 stakes will be run on the turf.
OPENING DAY SELLOUT
For the third straight year, Opening Day at Del Mar is a sellout as race fans return to the place where the turf meets the surf. As in the past couple of summers, tickets sales were limited this year to approximately 22,000 with the idea to maximize the experience for those who attend.
Fans who attended Open Day in years past will remember the record crowds, many exceeding 40,000. It made for a great party but the long lines at the windows and concessions somewhat dampened the experience thus the idea to limit ticket sales was adopted and it has been a solid success.
Feedback from fans on the capping of attendance has been overwhelmingly positive once they find they have easier access to wagering, food and beverage and other amenities.
The gates open at 11:30 a.m. Friday. The racing begins at 2 p.m.
Tickets remain available for the remainder of the Opening Weekend as well as for the entire eight week meet, including Pacific Classic Day on September 2. Reserve seating and admission are available at dmtc.com/tickets.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW: DEL MAR’S TOP HORSES ONE YEAR LATER
Before we embark on another fun-filled summer of Thoroughbred racing at Del Mar, now might be a good time to look back to last summer and the horses that made it a meet to remember.
FLIGHTLINE – Horse of the Meet – Top Older Horse: The son of Tapit would go on to complete his incredible 2022 campaign and cap an undefeated career with another dominating performance in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland in November, winning by 8 ¼ lengths. He was retired after the race and is standing at William Farish’s Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky. In January he was named Horse of the Year. The stunning winner of the 2022 Pacific Classic finished his career 6-for-6 with earnings exceeding $4.5 million.
MASTER PIECE – Top Grass Horse: The Chilean-bred won the G2 Eddie Read and missed by a head to Gold Phoenix in the G2 Del Mar Handicap. He went on to run eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Trained by Michael McCarthy, the just-turned 7-year old was shifted to Saffie Joseph’s barn in Florida in January where he ran 7th in the G1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. He subsequently finished third in two other graded stakes in South Florida. In June, the ridgling was again transferred to a new barn, this time to trainer Richard Dutrow.
BLUE STRIPE – Top Older Filly or Mare: The Argentine-bred’s resounding victory and upset of heavily favored shipper Shedaresthedevil in the G1 Clement Hirsch earned her top honors. She only ran once after that, a game runner-up finish to Malathaat in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Trained by Marcelo Polanco, the 6-year-old mare was sold days later at the Fasig-Tipton November sale. She’s bound for Japan but before leaving paid a visit to Flightline and has been confirmed in foal to the 2022 Horse of the Year.
AMERICAN THEOREM – Top Sprinter: The son of American Pharoah captured the G1 Bing Crosby and ran second to Laurel River in the G2 Pat O’Brien to cement his title. He went on to finish a distant 8th in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and then was put on the shelf, due in part to an illness. In June, the 6-year-old ridgling returned and finished 5th in an allowance race at Santa Anita. Trainer George Papaprodromou is pointing his star sprinter to a defense of his crown in the Bing Crosby July 29.
SLOW DOWN ANDY – Top 3-year old: The son of Nyquist’s popular victory in the G2 Del Mar Derby on Pacific Classic Day earned the colt the honor. He followed it up with third place finishes in the G1 Awesome Again at Santa Anita in October and in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile behind Cody’s Wish and Cyberknife. Trainer Doug O’Neill then gave his star pupil a well-deserved rest at owner-breeder Paul and Zillah Reddam’s Ocean Breeze Ranch in Bonsall. He returned in June and ran sixth in the G1 Met Mile on Belmont Stakes Day in New York.
SPENDARELLA – Top 3-year old filly: The New York-bred Horse of the Year in 2022 was very impressive in her victory in the G2 Del Mar Oaks. The daughter of Karakontie didn’t run again in 2022, trainer Graham Motion choosing to shut her down after a rigorous early year campaign that saw her win graded stakes at Gulfstream Park and Keeneland and post a runner-up finish at Royal Ascot prior to arriving at Del Mar in August. She returned to the races this May, running second to Fluffy Socks in the G1 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs on Derby Day and then posted another runner-up finish to In Italian in the G1 Just A Game at Belmont Park in June.
CAVE ROCK – Top 2-year old: This son of Arrogate headed up a very strong 2-year-old contingent coming out of the Bob Baffert barn, breaking his maiden at Del Mar by six lengths (over Practical Move who went on to win the Santa Anita Derby in April). The colt followed that with a win in the G1 Del Mar Futurity, scoring this time by 5 ¼ lengths. He went on to win the G1 American Pharoah at Santa Anita by another 5 ¼ lengths (over stablemate and eventual Preakness winner National Treasure) and was favored to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile but came up second to Forte. He has not run since. He last worked in April and remains on the sideline.
AND TELL ME NOLIES – Top 2-year old filly: The daughter of Arrogate broke her maiden at Del Mar in July and then won the G1 Del Mar Debutante. She parlayed that into a victory in the G1 Chandelier at Santa Anita punching her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies where she finished eighth. She started her 3-year-old campaign with runner-up finishes in the G3 Santa Ysabel and the G2 Santa Anita Oaks earning her a shot at the Kentucky Oaks. But a few days prior to the race, she dropped her rider and ran loose through the stable area and on race day could only manage a 12th place finish in the Oaks. She returned to Southern California and ran seventh in the G2 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita in June. She remains in training and has drawn post #5 in Saturday’s G2 San Clemente.
PICK SIX GUARANTEE
As if it wasn’t already the place to be Friday afternoon, Opening Day at Del Mar just got a lot more interesting. The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has announced a Pick Six guarantee payoff of $1 million should there be just one winning Pick Six ticket that day. So, for a mere 20 cents, you could change your life forever.
Here’s how it works: First, you have to win the Pick Six, which is a series of six consecutive races. The Pick Six starts with race five and runs through race 10. If your ticket is the only winning Pick Six ticket of the day, you not only win the jackpot, but Del Mar will make up the difference, up to $1 million. In terms your financial advisor will understand, if the Pick Six pays $250,000, Del Mar will hand over the remaining $750,000.
It’s all a part of an effort by Del Mar to show how impactful the Pick Six can be for a fan. The popular bet has been changing the lives of bettors for many years now. Back on August 1, 2004, one lucky wager netted over $2 million, a record for Del Mar.
First post on Opening Day is 2 p.m.
COOLING OUT: For the first time in the 40-year history of the Breeders’ Cup the Classic will not be the final race on the card. Due to conflicts with football on NBC, the Classic has been moved up to race #7 this year at Santa Anita. The Breeders’ Cup returns to Del Mar in 2024…Multiple Graded Stakes winner Neige Blanche put in a 4-furlong work at Del Mar Thursday morning in :48.00. It was the 12th best time out of 44 at the distance. Trainer Leonard Powell is pointing his 6-year-old French-bred to the $100,000 CTT-TOC Stakes on August 18, a race she won back in 2021…A total of 84 horses put in official works on the main track Thursday.