Phil D'Amato | Horse Racing Free Tips

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.

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Key Del Mar Names Reflect Upon 2021, Look Forward To 2022

The curtain comes down today on the Bing Crosby Season and, thereby, racing at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., for 2021. An appropriate time, it would seem, for a few key figures to, upon request, provide thoughts and comments on the summer and fall meetings this year, reflect back on COVID-marked 2020 and ahead to 2022.

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club CEO Joe Harper – “It has been a long couple years (2020-2021), but when all the dust settles, we've done terrific, and we've had a terrific year this year. I've learned not to count the people, just count the money on the tote board and there's your happy ending.”

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella – “The summer for our stable was wonderful (three stakes wins highlighted by United in the Eddie Read). The fall? It was nice to be down here, but we're packing up and heading north tomorrow licking our wounds…

“It was a big difference this year to have people back in the stands. That's what we need more of in racing is people to be here and have some fun and excitement. During COVID, it was just ourselves and the horses. With nobody to brag to after you won a race, it got pretty dull.

“Thankfully, we had racing and I don't want to take away from how lucky we were to have racing. A lot of businesses just stopped and we got to go ahead and continue to make a living without major job losses. But last year compared to this? There's no comparison. We need the people here.”

Trainer Peter Miller – “The summer was great (winning the training title and five stakes). The fall has not been up to our standards, but we've closed out with two wins on Friday and the (Jimmy Durante) stakes yesterday.”

Earlier this summer, Miller announced he was stepping back from racing and turning day-to-day operations over assistant Ruben Alvarado starting with the end of the Bing Crosby Season.

“Tomorrow morning I'm going to sleep in, have breakfast with my two boys and take them to school,” Miller said. “To say that has not been routine to this point is a real understatement.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert – “It was nice to be able to go to the track and have people there again. Clients love to win at Del Mar, and even when you lose, it doesn't feel as bad there. It's a fun atmosphere and they've done a good job of keeping it that way. ”

Baffert won four stakes in the summer, among them the Debutante and Futurity, and added four more during the Bing Crosby meeting – among them the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. It boosted his track record stakes victory total to 147.

“I have the sign that says record (victory) No. 75, seems like a long time ago,” Baffert said … “I'll have a lot of 2-year-olds again next summer…It's the best place to develop young horses.”

Trainer Bob Hess, Jr. – “Our summer meet started out pretty darn slow, but we finished with a flourish. The fall has been a bit slow but productive. We had a big winner (Saturday) in Miss Mattie B ($61.80), a 2-year-old filly we look forward to (campaigning) next year.

“For our barn and racing in general, I believe this Del Mar dirt surface is the safest in the country and it's even better in the fall than it is in the summer. That's why I personally like to have my horses down here in the fall. It doesn't make economic sense, but I think it makes a lot of horse sense.”

Trainer Phil D'Amato – “We've had a nice exciting year (26 wins overall, six stakes) and we're looking forward to 2022. I think it's only going to get better.”

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Say The Word, Desormeaux Have Final Word In Hollywood Turf Cup

Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm's Say the Word swung clear at the top of the stretch and scampered down the lane to capture the $251,000 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar Friday afternoon in Del Mar, Calif.

The 6-year-old gelded son of More Than Ready ran a mile and one half on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course in 2:27.62 under Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux to score by a length and take down a first prize of $150,000 in the Grade 2 headliner.

Phil D'Amato trains the winner and he also trains the runner-up, The Elwood Johnston Trust, Timmy Time Racing, et al's Acclimate, who set all the pace in the marathon, but couldn't hold off his stablemate at the end. Finishing third a neck back was Mr. and Mrs. William Warren Jr.'s Friar's Road.

Say the Word, who is a Canadian horse bred by the Sam-Son Farm of Rick Balaz of Ontario, paid $13.00, $5.80 and $4.00 across the board. Acclimate returned $8.80 and $4.40, while Friar's Road paid $3.20.

“This horse has had so much trouble before this; it was great to see him win. Kent (Desormeaux) did like he said he would and kept him covered up, then go him clear in the stretch and let him stretch his legs,” said D'Amato.

Desormeaux, who was winning his 86th stakes at Del Mar, kept his horse covered up for the majority of the journey, shifted him all the way outside at the top of the lane and kept him to a drive to the wire. It was the veteran's seventh lifetime score and the winner's share increased his earnings to $882,792. All of his wins have come on the turf.

“I've got to give Phil (trainer D'Amato) the credit for this one,” said Desormeaux. “He told me it was hard to get this horse to settle, so I told him I'd do the European thing: I'd put him up some horse's rear (force him to stay in position) and wait until the end. My peers always ask me who's my star and what that means is I'll put a star by the horse that I think will carry me 70 yards from the wire. And Umby (rider Umberto Rispoli) had the star today (Rispoli was aboard Friar's Road, the horse Desormeaux drafted in behind).”

In the track's continuing Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot Wager, the bet once more couldn't be conquered by the fans and its carryover moved up to $510,986. With only two days of racing left in the season, there's a real possibility that the wager could go all the way to Sunday's closing day and cause a mandatory payout that afternoon, a situation that usually greatly enhances the pool for the players.

First post for both Saturday and Sunday's races will be 12:30 p.m.

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D’Amato Holds Strong Hand in Durante

Trainer Phil D'Amato saddles a pair of live contenders in Saturday's GIII Jimmy Durante S. at Del Mar. Making one start in Europe before joining D'Amato's barn, Helens Well (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) broke her maiden at Del Mar Aug. 15 and finished second in both the Sept. 5 Juvenile Fillies Turf S. in SoCal and the Oct. 3 Surfer Girl S. at Santa Anita. She enters off an eighth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. Nov. 5. D'Amato also saddles Virulente (Fr) (Al Wukair {Ire}), who was privately purchased and sent to America after a first-out score in France Aug. 22.

Peter Miller sends out three in this event, led by Tezzaray (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}). Third in a pair of British starts in August, the chestnut was privately acquired by these connections and brought to America. She rallied to victory in her California debut at this oval Nov. 4. Her stablemate Travel Smart (Gormley) checked in fifth to next-out Grade I winner Grace Adler (Curlin) in her career bow going five furlongs on dirt here July 31, but broke through next out when dangled for a $50,000 tag in a one-mile turf event Oct. 30. Rounding out the Miller trio is Liam's Dove (Liam's Map), who defeated Helens Well in the aforementioned Juvenile Fillies Turf S. That was her first win and third start and she followed that with a 10th in the Surfer Girl.

Graham Motion invades Del Mar for the second time this month with Sparkle Blue (Hard Spun). The dark bay graduated at first asking in an off-the-turf event at Colonial Aug. 17 and was fourth next out in Laurel's grassy Selima S. Oct. 2. She won a course-and-distance optional claimer last out Nov. 3.

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