The exciting return of the world-class Thoroughbred race at Del Mar did not disappoint, as bets and record capacity highlighted the opening week, which kicks off Friday, July 22.
Racing fans from around the world and around the world celebrated that Del Mar was back on Friday with a $23.56 million bet, a record for the road opener. beach racing. They also didn’t give up on Saturday and Sunday with the three-day weekend ending with a strong average daily handle of $22.35 million, another Del Mar record.
Opening Day on Friday brought home a sold-out 21,680 home, with limited venue capacity to provide a comfortable guest experience. The carnival crowds present enjoyed the space to roam, cheer and enjoy a special day at the races, with the beautiful weather and sea breeze providing the perfect backdrop.
Balnikhov Riding by Umberto Rispoli and coached by Phil D’Amato, overcame traffic and won the Opening Day feature, Oceanside Stakes, for owners of Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables and Old Bones Racing.
Pick 4 and Pick 5 bets regularly cross the $1 million mark in their pool, making them top targets for high-stakes players. Del Mar officials point out that field size (10.6 runners per race) is one of the top drivers to hit the record.
“We had hoped for such a start, but it turned out to be even better than we thought,” said Club Del Mar Thoroughbred president Josh Rubinstein. “We’ve had great support from our riders and riders, from racing fans around the country and of course, from the horses themselves, the amazing runners who run Our team is really pleased with our track surface and our racing office put together three spectacular shows on consecutive days to get us off to a great start. great.”
“The Del Mar continues to showcase the best of California racing,” said Gary Fenton, President of the Purebred Owners Association of California. “We look forward to continuing to work with the Del Mar team to highlight all the work, effort and investment that goes into hosting world-class racing in the state.”
After a three-day opening week, Del Mar will return for a seven-week Thursday-Sunday race, including Labor Day weekend. It will then conclude with a three-day final week of Friday-Sunday, September 9, 10 and 11.
