Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and James McIngvale, the owner of champion and stallion Runhappy (Super Saver), have entered into a two-year agreement to showcase the horse to Del Mar horsemen and fans and bring about possible lucrative returns tied to his offspring.
For the next two seasons, Del Mar has renamed its opening and closing day stakes races as part of the arrangement. The popular Oceanside S. now becomes the Runhappy Oceanside S. and the GI Del Mar Futurity S. will be called instead the Runhappy Del Mar Futurity S.
“Del Mar is proud to partner with Jim McIngvale and Runhappy, who we believe might be one of the bright, young stallions in our country,” said Josh Rubinstein, Del Mar's president and chief operating officer. “We especially appreciate his support of California racing.”
Runhappy was America's Eclipse Award winning sprinter in 2015. He was a perfect seven-for-seven in sprint races during his career, including a smashing victory at Keeneland in the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint S. He entered the stud in 2017 at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky at a $25,000 fee.
His first crop of runners are currently yearlings and will come to the races in 2020, which is when the Del Mar/Runhappy partnership could take on extra value for local horsemen. McIngvale has generously agreed to enhance the winner's share of any open maiden special weight race at Del Mar captured that summer by a son or daughter of Runhappy by $100,000.
McIngvale will offer the same $100,000 bonus to any of Runhappy's offspring who win an unrestricted maiden race at Saratoga in 2020.
“If someone can win our $100,000 bonus, that's a lot of money and it will hopefully help the breeders and consignors selling the Runhappy yearlings at the upcoming yearling sales and also help put more money into the pockets of the owners and trainers,” McIngvale previously told TDN's Bill Finley June 7. “It's a tough business and most all of us in horse racing need ways to make more money.”
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