Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has instituted a 10% purse increase, which will be retroactive to the track’s opening day, July 10. Del Mar has also added a stakes race to its 2020 calendar–the $75,000 Del Mar Juvenile Filly Turf–a one-mile grass test for 2-year-old fillies Sept. 6. The race, which had been a regular feature at the seaside oval in the previous eight seasons, had been omitted from the original stakes schedule due to belt tightening measures. From July 10 through July 27, Del Mar conducted seven days of racing, without spectators due to COVID-19 restrictions, however, accounted for $133,841,412 in online wagering, an increase of over 5% over corresponding dates last year.
“Our horsemen have been terrific and our customers have responded very positively to what we’re presenting,” said Tom Robbins, Del Mar’s executive vice president for racing. “We’ve been running either 11- or 10-race cards and our field size is up to 8.6 in the early going. We’re very pleased to offer this purse boost in conjunction with how the meet has unfolded so far.”
Last summer the track’s average field size finished at 8.0 per race.
Del Mar’s summer season is scheduled through Labor Day Sept. 7 with racing Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. However, in response to the cancellation of racing during its second week, the track added Monday racing (July 27) with a 10-race card that drew $11.6 million in wagers. Del Mar indicated the plan is to make up their second and third missing days from week two with an added race day and additional races on scheduled cards.
The track returns to action Friday with six stakes races planned over the three-day weekend, including the GI Bing Crosby S. and GI Kentucky Derby point-earning race, the Shared Belief S. Saturday.
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