Del Mar | Horse Racing Free Tips

Breeders’ Cup Announces Challenge Series Races for August

Headlined by three automatic qualifiers for the $7-million GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic and three “Win and You’re In” starting positions at York’s Ebor Festival in Britain, the Breeders’ Cup announced its August schedule of Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races Wednesday.

There will be 16 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races in August, beginning Aug. 1 with two races at Saratoga Race Course and one at Del Mar. Saratoga will host the GI Whitney S., which will give the winner an automatic berth into Classic, as well as the GI Personal Ensign S., providing the winner a spot in the starting gate for the $2-million GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Later that day at Del Mar, the second automatic berth into the $2-million GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint will be awarded to the winner of the GI Bing Crosby S. The following day, Aug. 2, Del Mar will host its “Win and You’re In” for the Distaff, the GI Clement L. Hirsch S.

The rest of the August schedule with corresponding Breeders’ Cup events are as follows: the Aug. 8 GI Ballerina S. at Saratoga (Filly & Mare Sprint), Aug. 15 GI Alabama S. at Saratoga (Distaff), Aug. 16 G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville in France (Mile), Aug. 19 G1 Juddmonte International S. at York in Great Britain (Classic), Aug. 20 G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York (Filly & Mare Turf), Aug. 21 G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York (Turf Sprint), Aug. 22 GI Fourstardave H. at Saratoga (Mile), GI TVG Pacific Classic (Classic) and GII Del Mar H. (Turf) at Del Mar, Aug. 23 G1 Darley Prix Morny at Deauville (Juvenile Turf Sprint), Aug. 29 GI Sword Dancer Invitational S. at Saratoga (Turf) and GII Pat O’Brien S. at Del Mar (Dirt Mile).

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Tom Robbins, David Jerkens Among Veteran Racing Officials For Del Mar’s Summer Meet

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will conduct its 81st summer racing season beginning Friday, July 10 led by a seasoned collection of veteran racing officials.

As they have for the past seven years, Tom Robbins and David Jerkens will combine to run the show as the heads of the seaside track's racing department.

Robbins, a member of one of California's great racing families, will be starting his 40th year at Del Mar as he heads up a crew of more than 80 racing department staff in his role as the track's executive vice president, racing and industry relations. Jerkens, who also hails from a great racing clan – his an east coast-based one that was headed by his late grandfather, the Hall of Fame conditioner H. Allen Jerkens — has made his mark in the west and will be heading up the track's racing office as its racing secretary for the seventh straight summer.

Others signed on for the 28-day, nine-week run through the summer will be assistant racing secretary Zachary Soto, returning for his 30th summer at Del Mar, and racing veteran Ed Reese, serving as the track's stakes coordinator for the third time. Joining them this year will be the track's new Racing Coordinator, Tora Yamaguchi, who worked in the department previously but now is coming off a stint as the jockey's agent for rider Rafael Bejarano.

Other key personnel in the unit include stable superintendent Jackie Lynn, jockey room clerk of scales Matt Nichols and his assistant, Charles McCaul, as well as clerk of the course Dawn Schmid.

In the stewards' stand will be the trio of Kim Sawyer (in her 12th season at Del Mar), Grant Baker (in his seventh) and Luis Jauregui, who has served as either a regular steward or a safety steward locally every year since 2009. Joining them as this summer's safety steward will be Ron Church, who performed the same job at Del Mar last fall.

Del Mar's placing judges will be Robert Moreno, Sue Brent and Reese doing double duty. Additionally, Heather Correa will serve as a patrol judge along with Brent, while Karen Denovel will work as both a paddock and patrol judge.

The track's veterinarian crew will consist of three CHRB “official” veterinarians: Dr. Barrie Grant, D.V.M., Dr. Nolton Pattio, D.V.M. and Dr. Tim Grande, D.V.M. Del Mar will have four additional veterinarians: Dr. Dana Stead, D.V.M.; Dr. Helmuth Von Bluecher, D.V.M.; Dr. Alina Vale, D.V.M., and Dr. Laurie Bohannon, D.V.M.

Following a safety measure the track put in place last year, two of the veterinarians again will be assigned to elevated observation stations in the mornings to oversee workouts and gallops on the racing surfaces. Should one of the veterinarians see something untoward with a horse, they have the capacity to have the animal removed from the track and examined for possible injuries or negative conditions.

Other noteworthy officials for the session – which will have racing on a Friday-through-Sunday basis each week and finish on Labor Day Monday, September 7 – include Bridget Crawford, paymaster of purses; Jennifer Paige, horse identifier; John Lies, morning line maker and officer timer, and Victor Tovar, horseshoe identifier.

Leif Dickinson is back for his 21st year as Del Mar's turf and landscape superintendent, while main track guru Dennis Moore returns for his fourth summer as director of track maintenance.

Yet another returnee for the meeting is veteran head starter Jay Slender, spending his seventh year at the shore.

First post throughout the stand will be at 2 p.m.

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Del Mar’s 2020 Wagering Menu Retains Early Pick 4, Late Pick 5

Del Mar's 2020 betting menu will offer 17 different ways for racing fans to back their favorites at the seaside oval as it presents its 81st racing season between July 10 and September 7.

Though current plans call for the track to race without fans in the stands, the many satellite and online opportunities to wager and follow the action are expected to provide handle results similar to – and possibly even better than – past years. In 2019, 90% of Del Mar's betting took place away from the racetrack.

The track's bet roster starts with the traditional win, place and show wagers and expands all the way out to several five- and six-horse combinations.

Three relatively new multi-race bets that have proven well-liked by the track's punters are again on tap this summer. They are the early Pick Four, beginning on Race 2 at a .50¢ price; a late Pick 5 offered on the last five races daily, also at the .50¢ level, and a Win, Place, Show Parlay available for a minimum of two races and a maximum of six. It is a $2 bet.

In addition to its Early Pick Four, the track will continue to offer its usual Pick Four on the last four races on the day's card, a bet that has proven to be one of the most popular in the country and regularly registers $1-million-plus pools on weekends. Further, the late Pick Five will be similar to the track's early Pick Five held on the day's initial five events. And the Win, Place, Show Parlay will be presented using the standard single-bet W-P-S takeout of 15.43% instead of a multi-bet takeout that goes above 20%.

Del Mar also will continue with its longstanding $2 Pick Six on all racing days, along with the “Single Ticket Jackpot” addition to it that the track introduced during its 2016 fall season. Under the “Jackpot” rules, a separate pool accumulates alongside the regular one if nobody hits the bet as a lone ticket holder. This allows for a large separate pool to grow even in the case of a “hit' on the Pick Six by two or more players. The “Jackpot” pool often reaches six figures in fairly rapid order and can be expected to do so throughout the stand.

And, as it has the past several summers, Del Mar will schedule two “mandatory payouts” on the “Jackpot” pool: first on TVG Pacific Classic Day (Saturday, August 22), then on Closing Day, Monday, September 7. That means that a Pick Six winner on either of those dates would share not only in the regular pool, but the full “Jackpot” pool besides. Additionally, consolation winners on those days also would share in the “Jackpot” payout.

“Seeing what has happened at other tracks that have raced without fans because of the COVID-19 situation is giving us encouragement,” said Del Mar's director of mutuels Bill Navarro. “Across the board nationally betting has been strong. Wagering is the lifeblood of our sport and we believe we can – and will – have a good summer in that regard at Del Mar.”

The full array of Del Mar bets is as follows: $2 win, place and show (all races); $1 Exacta (all); $2 Quinella (all); .50¢ Trifecta (all); $2 Rolling Doubles (all except last); $1 Rolling Pick 3 (all except last two); $1 Superfecta (.10¢ minimum – all); $1 Place Pick All (starts w/Race 1 or 2); $1 Super High 5 (last); $2 Pick Six (last six); .50¢ Players' Pick 5 (first five and last five); .50¢ Pick 4 (Races 2 thru 5 and last four), and $2 Win-Place-Show Parlay (all races but last).

Del Mar will race on a Friday – Saturday – Sunday schedule throughout the summer, ending on its traditional closing day, Labor Day Monday, September 7. First post daily throughout the session will be 2 p.m.

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Del Mar Backstretch Workers To Receive Gregson Foundation Coupons For Food, Basic Necessities

Backstretch workers at the upcoming Del Mar summer meeting will continue to benefit from a recent special coupon program that has been financed by the Gregson Foundation, the California organization founded to aid those workers and enhance their lives.

In a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the extra burden placed on the workers, the foundation twice issued coupons during the month of April covering the stable area workers of 149 different trainers – 82 of them in Southern California and 67 in Northern California. Approximately 1,350 workers received the coupons.

Each worker received two of the $5 coupons twice, which in turn could be redeemed at the stable area cafeterias – Debby's Café at Santa Anita Park and Kan's Cafeteria at Golden Gate Fields. They also were good at California Thoroughbred Trainers' recreation hall stores for the purchase of food and snacks and everyday necessities, such as hygiene products, over-the-counter medicines, and laundry needs.

All told, the redeemed coupon value amounted to $26,690.

“Our backstretch workers are very appreciative of a seemingly small perk like this,” said Gregson Foundation president Jenine Sahadi. “They don't have a lot and they work hard with our horses and something like this is a recognition of the important jobs they perform. This was met with such positive feedback that we're going to do it again at Del Mar.”

Sahadi, previously one of America's most successful female trainers, has headed the foundation since 2001. The 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization, named to honor the driving force behind its establishment, the late trainer Edwin Gregson, raises funds to benefit backstretch workers and their families.

Over the past two decades, the foundation has provided over $1.3 million in scholarship grants, paying the costs of attendance at various colleges, universities and trade schools for 625 sons and daughters of California grooms, hot walkers, exercise riders and assistant trainers. Many of these children are the first in their families to go on to higher education.

Further, the Gregson Foundation has raised more than $5 million through grants, donations, fundraising events and Charity Day funds. Those monies have gone toward providing various activities annually for the workers and their families, such as softball and soccer leagues, family excursions to amusement and water parks, zoos, fishing trips, professional sporting events, holiday festivities, picnics and Bar-B-Qs. The foundation functions both in Southern and Northern California.

Del Mar's 2020 racing season opens on Friday, July 10 and runs through Labor Day Monday, September 7.

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