Highlighted by the $1-million GI TVG Pacific Classic, a race that could attract recent G1 Dubai World Cup winner California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), a total of 43 added-money events are scheduled for the 2016 live racing season at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. The track's 77th summer of racing will take place from Friday, July 15 through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5.
Of the 43 stakes events, 33 will carry purse money ranging from $100,000 to $1 million, while an additional 10 overnight stakes will be written, each offering purse money of $75,000. The track will stage 21 graded stakes in total, a half-dozen of those at Grade I level, including the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. (July 30), Bing Crosby S. (July 31), Del Mar Oaks (Aug. 20) and the meet-ending Debutante (Sept. 3) and Futurity (Sept. 5).
“We made some small tweaks this year, but for the most part we've got our usual highly anticipated stakes schedule lined up for the summer of 2016,” said Tom Robbins, Del Mar's executive vice president for racing, who'll be working out of the track's racing office for the 36th year. “We moved a few stakes around and adjusted the values on several others to reflect our overall purse situation, but for the most part our horsemen and fans are going to find that Del Mar schedule they know and have come to love. Our stakes schedule has featured 43 stakes most recently. We're back with that same number again.”
The biggest change to the schedule is a shifting of the track's marquee races for older turf females. The GII Yellow Ribbon S., typically contested at the tail end of the meeting, has been pushed forward in light of limited grass racing in California in June and July and will take place on the opening Saturday, July 16. The GII John C. Mabee S. has been relocated to closing weekend, Sunday, Sept. 4.
Due to a “substantial” overpayment of purse money in 2015, officials at Del Mar have been forced into slashing the purses on four of its major stakes. Taking the biggest hit was the Eddie Read S., which was downgraded from Grade I to Grade II status for the 2016 running and saw its purse money cut from $400,000 to $250,000. Four other races had their values cut by $50,000 each. The Cal-bred restricted Fleet Treat S. and the Real Good Deal S. will offer gross purse money of $150,000, while the GII Pat O'Brien S. will be staged as a $200,000 event. The John C. Mabee was trimmed to $250,000.
Track president Joe Harper believes that business will track in a positive direction in 2016.
“We had some circumstances go against us last year, but I see better times ahead,” he said. ”We're opening for the first time on a Friday in forever and I think that will kick off a terrific starter weekend. We've got great racing lined up once more and a ton of additional events and happenings set to go. You can't beat a summer at Del Mar and I can just feel that this one is going to be a winner.”
The track has also renamed the El Cajon S. for 3-year-olds the Shared Belief S. to honor the gelding, who succumbed to a bout of colic in December 2015.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
