Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will offer 41 stakes races worth $7.3 million during a 36-day meet that runs from Wednesday, July 19 to Labor Day, Sept. 4, the seaside track announced Wednesday. The centerpiece of the meet, as per usual, is the $1-million GI TVG Pacific Classic to be contested Saturday, Aug. 19. The Del Mar stakes program could take on extra significance this year with the 34th edition of the Breeders' Cup World Championships headed to the track for the first time Nov. 3 and Nov. 4.
“For the most part, this is the traditional Del Mar stakes schedule that's been a popular presentation for us for the last decade,” said the track's racing secretary, David Jerkens. “Our horsemen know it and like it, our fans do, too. It's a case of a perfect racetrack axiom: you stick with a winner.”
Overall, the track will offer 33 stakes with purses ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000, as well as eight overnight stakes events worth $75,000.
“We've got the only $1-million race in the west for older horses in the TVG Pacific Classic,” he said. “We've got a race that's showcased the Kentucky Derby winner in three of the last four years in the Del Mar Futurity. And we've got a series of races in all our categories that flow beautifully during our meet and then project forward to the Breeders' Cup championship events, which, of course, we have right here this year.”
For the complete stakes schedule, click here.
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