From DMTC
DEL MAR, Calif. (May 15, 2014) — For its 75th summer session of Thoroughbred sport, Del Mar will set a new high for stakes purses with $8,050,000 being offered for 43 events sprinkled across the historic track’s primary 36-day season starting on July 17 and running through September 3.
The 33 “advertised” stakes will carry purses ranging for $100,000 to $1,000,000, while the 10 “overnight” stakes each will be worth $90,000. Additionally, the seaside oval is projected to provide horsemen with more than $700,000 in daily purses, the richest in the state of California and among the richest of any race meeting in America.
Once again providing the most pizzazz among the track’s best races is the $1,000,000 TVG Pacific Classic, which will have its 24th running on Sunday, August 24 as the headliner on a stakes tripleheader program. The mile and one-quarter testing for 3-year-olds and up offers Grade I status and a $600,000 winner’s share.
Though the track will open on a Thursday this year, it will follow recent pattern and race Wednesday through Sunday for most of the meet. There also will be an additional – and traditional — day of sport on Labor Day Monday (September 1). First post daily is regularly 2 p.m. with the exceptions of Fridays when the popular “Four O’Clock Friday” programs (which include a post-race band) are in vogue. Additionally, first post will be at 1 p.m. for the big TVG Pacific Classic Day card.
Following its traditional summer season, Del Mar – for the first time – will come back with fall racing and a 15-day meeting that will run from November 7 through November 30.
“We’ve got a doubleheader on tap for the first time this year,” said Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s president and CEO Joe Harper. “Our fall meet is drawing a lot of buzz and looking very exciting. But first we’ve got a classic summer season full of big purses, good horses and more Del Mar fun than you can shake a stick at.”
All told, the track will offer seven Grade I races starting with the Eddie Read Stakes at nine furlongs on the grass on its opening Sunday (July 20) and finishing with the Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on closing day. Other cream-of-the-crop events are the Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs (July 27), the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes and a mile and one-sixteenth (August 2), the Del Mar Oaks at nine panels on the lawn (August 16) and the Del Mar Debutante at seven eighths (August 30).
With the exception of the rich TVG Pacific Classic, all of Del Mar’s Grade I races carry purses of $300,000.
The sun-splashed racing headquarters founded by Bing Crosby and his Hollywood pals back in 1937 will present two or more stakes on nine different days throughout the meet topped by the TVG Pacific Classic Day tripleheader that also will provide a pair of Grade II features – the $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs and the $250,000 Del Mar Mile on the totally rebuilt Jimmy Durante turf course.
Kicking off the stakes parade will be the popular opening-day Oceanside Stakes at a mile on grass for 3-year-olds. In its 33 runnings since 1981, the Oceanside has been split 27 times, serving as it does as a key prep for the track’s sophomore championship event, the $300,000 Del Mar Derby slated for August 31 this year.
Five of Del Mar’s stakes once again have been designated Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” races, meaning a guaranteed starting spot as well as the payment of all fees for designated Breeders’ Cup races will be earned by the winners. Those races are the Bing Crosby, Clement L. Hirsch, Del Mar Handicap (August 23), Pat O’Brien and TVG Pacific Classic.
Additionally, five of the track’s stakes have had their purses enhanced by $50,000 each this year. They are: San Clemente Handicap for 3-year-old fillies (July 19), the Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds (August 3), the Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies (August 6) and the Yellow Ribbon Handicap for older fillies and mares (September 1), all increased from $150,000 to $200,000, while the Del Mar Mile has gone from $200,000 to $250,000.
Del Mar’s total purses – which last year finished up at over $707,000 per day, a Del Mar record – are projected to provide similar economic incentives to its horsemen in 2014.
Straight maiden races once more will be contested for $75,000 purses; first-level allowance races will carry $85,000 pots, and the lowest selling races for $8,000 claimers will offer $20,000 prizes.
“There’s money to be made at Del Mar,” said the track’s executive vice president for racing Tom Robbins. “We’ve worked hard to position ourselves among racing’s elite and we’ll work harder still to stay there. A man with a good horse will feel right at home with us and we welcome his kind with open arms.”
The complete list of stakes follows:
Thu. Jul 17 — OCEANSIDE STAKES Three-year-olds, N/W S/S of $50,000 at 1 M o/o in 2014, One Mile (Turf) $100,000 Added
Fri. Jul 18 — CTBA STAKES Fillies, two year olds, bred in CA, 5 1/2 Furlongs $100,000 Guaranteed
Sat. Jul 19 — Osunitas Stakes Fillies & mares, three year olds & up, N/W S/S of $50,000 at 1 M o/o in 2014, 1 1/16 Miles (Turf) $ 90,000 Added
Sat. Jul 19 — SAN CLEMENTE HANDICAP (Gr. II) Fillies, three year olds, One Mile (Turf) $200,000 Guaranteed
Sun. Jul 20 — EDDIE READ STAKES (Gr. I) Three-year-olds & up, 1 1/8 Miles (Turf) $300,000 Guaranteed
Wed. Jul 23 — Wickerr Stakes Three-year-olds & up, N/W S/S $50,000 at 1 M o/o since March 1, One Mile (Turf) $ 90,000 Added
Fri. Jul 25 — COUGAR II HANDICAP (Gr. III) Three-year-olds & up, 1 1/2 Miles $100,000 Guaranteed
Sat. Jul 26 — FLEET TREAT STAKES Fillies, three year olds, bred in CA, Seven Furlongs $200,000 Guaranteed
Sat. Jul 26 — SAN DIEGO HANDICAP (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up, 1 1/16 Miles $200,000 Guaranteed
Sun. Jul 27 — CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ HANDICAP Three-year-olds & up, bred in CA, 1 1/16 Miles (Turf) $150,000 Guaranteed
Sun. Jul 27 — BING CROSBY STAKES (Gr. I) Three-year-olds & up, Six Furlongs $300,000 Guaranteed
Wed. Jul 30 — GRADUATION STAKES Two-year-olds, bred in CA, 5 1/2 Furlongs $100,000 Guaranteed
Fri. Aug 1 — REAL GOOD DEAL STAKES Three-year-olds, bred in CA, Seven Furlongs $200,000 Guaranteed
Sat. Aug 2 — CLEMENT L. HIRSCH STAKES (Gr. I) Fillies & mares, three year olds & up, 1 1/16 Miles $300,000 Guaranteed
Sun. Aug 3 — BEST PAL STAKES (Gr. II) Two-year-olds, 6 1/2 Furlongs $200,000 Guaranteed
Wed. Aug 6 — SORRENTO STAKES (Gr. II) Fillies, two year olds, 6 1/2 Furlongs $200,000 Guaranteed
Fri. Aug 8 — Daisycutter Handicap Fillies & Mares, three year olds & up, Five Furlongs (Turf) $ 90,000 Added
Sat. Aug 9 — LA JOLLA HANDICAP (Gr. III) Three-year-olds, 1 1/16 Miles (Turf) $150,000 Guaranteed
Sun. Aug 10 — JOHN C. MABEE STAKES (Gr. II) Fillies & mares, three year olds & up, 1 1/8 Miles (Turf) $250,000 Guaranteed
Wed. Aug 13 — Green Flash Handicap Three-year-olds & up, Five Furlongs (Turf) $ 90,000 Added
Fri. Aug 15 — Sandy Blue Handicap Fillies, three year olds, One Mile (Turf)
$90,000 Added
Sat. Aug 16 — DEL MAR OAKS (Gr. I) Fillies, three year olds, 1 1/8 Miles (Turf) $300,000 Guaranteed
Sun. Aug 17 — RANCHO BERNARDO HCP (Gr. III) Fillies & mares, three year olds & up, 6 1/2 Furlongs $150,000 Guaranteed
Sun. Aug 17 — SOLANA BEACH HANDICAP Fillies & mares, three year olds & up, bred in CA, One Mile (Turf) $150,000 Guaranteed
Fri. Aug 22 — CTT & TOC Handicap Fillies & mares, three year olds & up, 1 3/8 Miles (Turf) $ 90,000 Added
Sat. Aug 23 — DEL MAR HANDICAP (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up, 1 3/8 Miles (Turf) $200,000 Guaranteed
Sun. Aug 24 — PAT O’BRIEN STAKES (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up, Seven Furlongs $250,000 Guaranteed
Sun. Aug 24 — DEL MAR MILE (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up, One Mile (Turf) $250,000 Guaranteed
Sun. Aug 24 — TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC (Gr. I) Three-year-olds & up, 1 1/4 Miles $1,000,000 Guaranteed
Wed. Aug 27 — GENEROUS PORTION STAKES Fillies, two year olds, bred in CA, Six Furlongs $150,000 Guaranteed
Fri. Aug 29 — EL CAJON STAKES Three-year-olds, One Mile $100,000 Guaranteed
Sat. Aug 30 — Harry F. Brubaker Stakes Three-year-olds & up, One Mile $ 90,000 Added
Sat. Aug 30 — DEL MAR DEBUTANTE (Gr. I) Fillies, two year olds, Seven Furlongs $300,000 Guaranteed
Sun. Aug 31 — Tranquility Lake Stakes Fillies & mares, three year olds & up, N/W S/S $50,000 at 1 M o/o since Feb 1, One Mile $ 90,000 Added
Sun. Aug 31 — TORREY PINES STAKES (Gr. III) Fillies, three year olds, One Mile $100,000 Guaranteed
Sun. Aug 31 — DEL MAR DERBY (Gr. II) Three-year-olds, 1 1/8 Miles (Turf) $300,000 Guaranteed
Mon. Sep 1 — I’M SMOKIN STAKES Two-year-olds, bred in CA, Six Furlongs $150,000 Guaranteed
Mon. Sep 1 — OAK TREE JUVENILE FILLIES TURF Fillies, two year olds, One Mile (Turf) $100,000 Guaranteed
Mon. Sep 1 — YELLOW RIBBON HANDICAP (Gr. II) Fillies & mares, three year olds & up, 1 1/16 Miles (Turf) $200,000 Guaranteed
Wed. Sep 3 — C.E.R.F. Stakes Fillies & mares, three year olds & up, N/W S/S $50,000 since March 1, Six Furlongs $ 90,000 Added
Wed. Sep 3 — Pirate’s Bounty Stakes Three-year-olds & up, N/W S/S $50,000 since March 1, Six Furlongs $ 90,000 Added
Wed. Sep 3 — OAK TREE JUVENILE TURF Two-year-olds, One Mile (Turf) $100,000 Guaranteed
Wed. Sep 3 — DEL MAR FUTURITY (Gr. I) Two-year-olds, Seven Furlongs $300,000 Guaranteed