Josh Rubinstein

Del Mar rounded out its 12th Bing Crosby Fall Meet on Sunday with a 9.4% gain in total handle, despite running one fewer day than in 2024 due to a weather-related cancellation. Total wagering for the recently concluded 13-day fall meet rose to $183.4 million compared to $167.6 million for the 14-day 2024 fall season. Average daily handle for the 13 race days was $14.1 million an increase of 17.8% from last year. Field size for the fall season remained steady at 7.77 runners per race versus 7.72 in 2024....

After growing clamor among horse players about the role that Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) players had in driving a spate of marked late odds changes at Del Mar this summer, track officials announced Tuesday that starting this Thursday, they would close CAW access to its win pools at two minutes before the off time. "I'm really pleased. This is a stepping stone to getting things right as it effectively creates a retail only pool, and it stabilizes prices," said Marshall Gramm, an economics professor at Rhodes College in Tennessee and...

The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) on Thursday voted down two separate proposals to allocate 2025 race dates to entities at Ferndale and Fresno that wanted to keep Thoroughbred racing going on the now-nonexistent Northern California circuit. The 4-3 votes on each measure dashed what appeared to be the last remaining hopes for a 2025 resuscitation of the sport in a region of the state that as recently as two summers ago boasted a year-round rotation of racing anchored by one commercial track and five fair venues. The June 19...

Del Mar and SeatGeek have partnered to provide new seating and pricing options for the 2025 Breeders' Cup, the track announced via a press release Tuesday. Tickets for the general public will go on sale April 23 but fans may already browse ticket options and pricing and are encouraged to register for presale access now. As part of its new multi-year partnership with SeatGeek, the Breeders' Cup will leverage cutting-edge technology to enhance the ticketing purchasing process and create a more seamless and memorable on-site experience. New for 2025, in...

Keeneland Sales, which will continue to be presenting sponsor of the GI Alabama Stakes at Saratoga Race Course this summer, will also be the presenting sponsor of this year's GI Del Mar Oaks. Both races for 3-year-old fillies will be held Aug. 17. "Keeneland is thrilled to once again collaborate with the New York Racing Association and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in sponsoring prestigious summer stakes," Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. "Endorsements such as these allow us to celebrate Keeneland sales graduates from coast to coast...

The Oak Tree Racing Association and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will partner this summer for a special day Aug. 3 to honor the late Clement L. Hirsch, who will be inducted this year into racing's Hall of Fame in the Pillars of the Turf category, the racetrack said in a release on Thursday. Hirsch's induction ceremony, with members of his family in attendance, will take place in Saratoga Springs, New York on Friday, Aug. 2. The following day, Del Mar will present Oak Tree Day at the Races featuring...

The New York Racing Association has announced the formation of an All-Weather Surfaces Committee to study the impact of various racing surfaces on equine injury rates. According to a Wednesday NYRA press release, the committee, which first met last October, will evaluate safety metrics from tracks utilizing all-weather racing surfaces, as well as study the feasibility of broader adoption of all-weather surfaces nationally. The committee, chaired by NYRA CEO and President David O'Rourke, was formed at the request of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, as part of HISA's strategic...

The 57th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, focused this year on safeguarding equine welfare and exploring shifts in societal expectations and the sport's response around the world, took place on Oct. 2 at Saint-Cloud racetrack in Paris. Organised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), the day-long conference emphasized horse racing in a changing society, safeguarding equine welfare and explore shifts in societal expectations and the racing industry's response around the world. "Today we continued what has been a chief mission throughout the life of the Federation: equine welfare,"...

Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC) have reached an agreement in a lawsuit stemming from events during the summer of 2019 when the track temporarily barred the trainer from its grounds, according to a notice of settlement recently filed in the San Diego Superior Court. The notice included no specifics. "The terms of the settlement are to remain confidential," explained Hollendorfer's attorney, Drew Couto. DMTC president, Josh Rubinstein, confirmed the settlement in an emailed statement. "The resolution of this litigation does not reflect the...

It's been some four years since Santa Anita suffered through some of the worst times in its long and otherwise glorious history, a prolonged period where horses were breaking down and dying at an alarming rate. Aidan Butler, the chief executive officer at The Stronach Group 1/ST Racing and Gaming, the corporation that owns Santa Anita, is still haunted by that period, so much so that he says he has nightmares about horses breaking down. "It was horrific," Butler said. "Can you imagine having bloody helicopters from the news stations...

Race caller Larry Collmus will return for the third time, calling the majority of Del Mar's upcoming Bing Crosby Season, which runs from Nov. 11 through Dec. 4. John Lies will handle the mic for the first weekend, Nov. 11-13. "We're so fortunate that we again can call on the services of a first-class announcer like Larry," said Del Mar's president and COO, Josh Rubinstein. "Not only does he do an exceptional job for us in the announcer's booth, but he's a plus for our side on the social media...

Del Mar's summer meet kicked off with racing Friday through Sunday, and the oceanside oval broke an opening day handle record with $23.56 million wagered and set an average daily handle record for opening weekend of $22.35 million. "We hoped for this kind of beginning, but it turned out even better than we thought," said Del Mar Thoroughbred Club president Josh Rubinstein. "We've gotten terrific support from our horsemen and horsewomen, from racing fans across the country and, of course, from the horses themselves, the amazing athletes who run here....