Tag: joe harper

Longtime Del Mar Marketing Executive Dado Leaving Post

Craig Dado, a member of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club's executive staff for the past 20 years, has left the organization to focus on a developing information business in the sports betting world.

Dado, 54, a Northern California native who found a career in the racing industry in Southern California, has been a Del Mar executive vice president and its chief marketing officer since 2013. He had joined the company in 2001 as vice president of marketing, then in 2010 was named senior vice president before assuming his current role.

Prior to coming on board at Del Mar, Dado had begun his racing career at Santa Anita Park in 1991 where he worked his way up to become the track's vice president for marketing.

“Craig has been a solid contributor to our efforts at Del Mar over the past two decades,” said Joe Harper, DMTC's CEO. “His intelligence and instincts in the marketing business helped Del Mar rise up in the racing industry and for that we'll be forever grateful. We wish him nothing but well as he moves on to other things.”

Dado oversaw the track's successful strategies to woo younger fans through the use of music and food and drink festivals. He spearheaded the track's “branding” efforts through its blue and yellow diamonds color themes and its “Cool as Ever” marketing and advertising programs.

Three years ago, Dado teamed with Dr. David Chao – former longtime team physician for the NFL's San Diego Chargers – to create a free NFL injury information service catering to sports bettors and fantasy players. Originally known as Pro Football Doc, the business has recently been rebranded Sports Injury Central and will add injury information for the NBA and Major League Baseball.

“Working at Del Mar has been a dream job for over 20 years. I can't thank Joe Harper and the wonderful people there enough,” said Dado. “I'm going to miss it, but I have an opportunity to run my own business, which has been a goal of mine for years. I feel like the timing is right.”

He grew up in Petaluma near San Francisco and earned a degree in business from the University of California, Berkeley as well as a Master's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the father of two daughters and a son.

The post Longtime Del Mar Marketing Executive Dado Leaving Post appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Record Wagering, Safe Racing Highlight Del Mar’s 2021 Seasons

Del Mar brought to a close its 2021 racing calendar on Sunday with the conclusion of its eighth Bing Crosby Season adding additional luster to its robust summer stand. Between them, the pair totaled an exceptional combined final wagering mark of $943.49 million, a record for the seaside oval.

The track could point to many other positives throughout the 2021 year – the return of racing fans, exceptional purses for its horsemen, hosting another record-setting Breeders' Cup among them. But the standard the track is proudest of is its continuing mark as America's safest major racetrack. Only one horse was injured catastrophically in the 426 races and 3,552 starters that performed during the two sessions, a mark that is unmatched in the country.

Total handle for the four-week, 13-day fall session was $171.58 million. The fall meet average daily handle was a record $13.19 million, which was 1.0% higher than the record average daily handle posted last year.

The Breeders' Cup – conducted at Del Mar on November 5 and 6 – had a common-pool handle of $183,260,127, a two-day record for the championship event.

When Del Mar last hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2017, it posted a then-record handle of $166,077,486. The new mark is 10.4% higher than that.

Del Mar's wagering in 2021 totaled $943.49 million, 21.3% higher than the previous record of $778.97 million set in 2017 the last time Del Mar hosted the Breeders' Cup.

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club's CEO, Joe Harper, said he was extremely pleased by events at his track over the year.

“I am exceptionally proud of our team and seeing all their hard work come to such wonderful fruition over the course of the two seasons,” he said. “We put on a helluva Breeders' Cup show once again; we were at our best for the best. And we're safe, very safe. That's just the best of all.”

“The racing world once again got to see what we're spoiled with every year – one of the best operations in the industry,” said Gary Fenton, chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. “Breeders' Cup kicked off another wonderful meet and we're so grateful for the entire DMTC team. TOC couldn't ask for a better partner.”

The track's Ship & Win program – where it encourages horsemen and horsewomen to bring their runners to Del Mar for both of its seasons and has proven to be one of the great thoroughbred magnets in the country – had another banner session. Sixty-seven new runners came to town this fall under the program with six of them making a second start during the Bing Crosby Season. All told, 1,885 “S&W” runners have come to California since the program was put in place 11 years ago.

Its fall Turf Festival again drew high-class runners from across the land to compete in its seven-race stand over the final weekend of the meet. More than a dozen stakes aces shipped in to take on the local runners in the rich events.

The track's fall riding king was Juan Hernandez with his 17 firsts from 79 mounts during the 15-day (counting the Breeders' Cup) session. It is his first riding title at Del Mar. The top trainer was Phil D'Amato who registered 15 firsts from 52 starters. It is his first fall riding championship, but his third at the track overall.

Racing will return to Del Mar next July 22 for the track's 83rd summer season.

The post Record Wagering, Safe Racing Highlight Del Mar’s 2021 Seasons appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Del Mar Ends Season on High

Del Mar rounded out its 2021 racing calendar Dec. 5 with the conclusion of its eighth Bing Crosby Season following its successful fall and summer meets. Between them, the pair totaled a combined final wagering mark of $943.49 million, a record for the seaside oval. Among highlights this season, the oval saw the return of racing fans, healthy purses in addition to hosting another record-setting Breeders' Cup. Also in 2021, a single horse was injured catastrophically in the 426 races and 3,552 starters that performed during the two meets.

Total handle for the four-week, 13-day fall session was $171.58 million. The fall meet average daily handle was a record $13.19 million, which was 1.0% higher than the record average daily handle posted last year.

The Breeders' Cup–held at Del Mar Nov. 5 and 6–had a common-pool handle of $183,260,127, a two-day record for the championship event. When Del Mar last hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2017, it posted a then-record handle of $166,077,486. The new mark is 10.4% higher than that.

Del Mar's wagering in 2021 totaled $943.49 million, 21.3% higher than the previous record of $778.97 million set in 2017 the last time Del Mar hosted the Breeders' Cup.

“I am exceptionally proud of our team and seeing all their hard work come to such wonderful fruition over the course of the two seasons,” said Del Mar Thoroughbred Club's CEO, Joe Harper. “We put on a helluva Breeders' Cup show once again; we were at our best for the best. And we're safe, very safe. That's just the best of all.”

The track's Ship & Win program featured 67 new runners who came to town this fall under the program with six of them making a second start during the Bing Crosby Season. In total, 1,885 “S&W” runners have come to California since the program was put in place 11 years ago.

The track's fall riding leading rider was Juan Hernandez with 17 firsts from 79 mounts during the 15-day (counting the Breeders' Cup) session. It is his first riding title at Del Mar. Top trainer honors went to Phil D'Amato, who registered 15 firsts from 52 starters. It is his first fall riding championship, but his third at the track overall.

Racing will return to Del Mar July 22 for the track's 83rd summer season.

The post Del Mar Ends Season on High appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Del Mar 2021 Seasons: Record Handle, Safe Racing Among Highlights

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., brought to a close its 2021 racing calendar on Sunday with the conclusion of its eighth Bing Crosby Season adding additional luster to its robust summer stand. Between them, the pair totaled an exceptional combined final wagering mark of $943.49 million, a record for the seaside oval.

The track could point to many other positives throughout the 2021 year – the return of racing fans, exceptional purses for its horsemen, and hosting another record-setting Breeders' Cup among them. But the standard the track is proudest of is its continuing mark as America's safest major racetrack. Only one horse was injured catastrophically in the 426 races and 3,552 starters that performed during the two sessions, a mark that is unmatched in the country.

Total handle for the four-week, 13-day fall session was $171.58 million. The fall meet average daily handle was a record $13.19 million, which was 1.0% higher than the record average daily handle posted last year.

The Breeders' Cup – conducted at Del Mar on November 5 and 6 – had a common-pool handle of $183,260,127, a two-day record for the championship event.

When Del Mar last hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2017, it posted a then-record handle of $166,077,486. The new mark is 10.4% higher than that.

The two-meet mark of $943.49 million is 21.3% higher than the 2017 standard of $779.97 million. Both years featured Breeders' Cups.

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club's CEO, Joe Harper, said he was extremely pleased by events at his track over the year. “I am exceptionally proud of our team and seeing all their hard work come to such wonderful fruition over the course of the two seasons,” he said. “We put on a helluva Breeders' Cup show once again; we were at our best for the best. And we're safe, very safe. That's just the best of all.”

“The racing world once again got to see what we're spoiled with every year – one of the best operations in the industry,” said Gary Fenton, chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners. “Breeders' Cup kicked off another wonderful meet and we're so grateful for the entire DMTC team. TOC couldn't ask for a better partner.”

The track's Ship & Win program – where it encourages horsemen and horsewomen to bring their runners to Del Mar for both of its seasons and has proven to be one of the great thoroughbred magnets in the country – had another banner session. Sixty-seven new runners came to town this fall under the program with six of them making a second start during the Bing Crosby Season. All told, 1,885 “S&W” runners have come to California since the program was put in place 11 years ago.

Its fall Turf Festival again drew high-class runners from across the land to compete in its seven-race stand over the final weekend of the meet. More than a dozen stakes aces shipped in to take on the local runners in the rich events.

The track's fall riding king was Juan Hernandez with his 17 firsts from 79 mounts during the 15-day (counting the Breeders' Cup) session. It is his first riding title at Del Mar. The top trainer was Phil D'Amato who registered 15 firsts from 52 starters. It is his first fall training championship, but his third at the track overall.

Racing will return to Del Mar next July 22 for the track's 83rd summer season.

The post Del Mar 2021 Seasons: Record Handle, Safe Racing Among Highlights appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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