Del Mar News & Announcements

These announcements and Press Releases are updated frequently. For Stable Notes and other race-related news, you can read our Stable News.

Del Mar Adds Race Date on Monday, August 31

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has announced it will run a make-up day of racing on Monday, August 31. It expects to present a 10-race card starting at 2 p.m. The added date means Del Mar...

Honor A.P. in the Spotlight for a Unique Shared Belief Stakes

John Shirreffs and Honor A.P. © Zoe Metz Photography By Hank Wesch Del Mar will be the venue for a Kentucky Derby prep race Saturday, the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes. Weird, right? “Nothing feels weird...

Del Mar Ups Purses 10% Following Strong Opening Session

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club today announced a 10% purse increase after a solid opening span of racing days during the month of July. The increase will be retroactive back to the track’s first day, July...

Mandella Unleashes United in Read, Then Throws a Joker in the Del Mar Deck

United © Benoit Photo Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella fired one of his big guns Sunday at Del Mar and the boom shook the grounds and might reverberate forward to the shore track’s biggest...

Maximum Security Just Up in San Diego; Laura's Light Takes San Clemente

Maximum Security © Benoit Photo Champion Maximum Security make his comeback Saturday at Del Mar a winner – but only just. The Gary and Mary West homebred colt worked hard through the stretch to get...

Already Famous, Maximum Security Debuts for Baffert

Maximum Security © Zoe Metz Photography By Hank Wesch The Del Mar barber’s knowledge of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, whose distinctive white locks he was trimming, apparently did not extend to the horses...

Del Mar Adds Monday, July 27 Program to its Schedule

Following the loss of the three racing cards planned for this upcoming weekend, Del Mar shifted gears and reschedule one of those lost days for Monday, July 27, effectively giving the shore oval a four-day...

Del Mar Cancels This Weekend's Racing After Jockeys Test Positive for COVID-19; Racing to Resume Friday, July 24 With Additional Jockey Travel Restrictions in Place

With caution its primary concern, Del Mar has preemptively canceled its next three days of racing, July 17-18-19, after 15 jockeys tested positive for COVID-19. All of Del Mar’s jockeys and jockey room personnel were...

Ken Church, Former Rider, Media Specialist Dies in Reno at Age 90

Ken Church salutes the crowd with his winning bouquet following his victory in the 1974 edition of the Rocking Chair Derby at Del Mar. Ken Church, a prominent national rider from the 1940s to the...

Rider Flavien Prat Tests Positive for Covid-19 After Kentucky Trip

Flavien Prat Jockey Flavien Prat, a three-time leading rider at Del Mar, tested positive for COVID-19 Sunday following a trip to Kentucky for a riding assignment there Saturday, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club officials confirmed today....