David Jerkens
Del Mar will offer its richest "Ship and Win" bonus when the program, designed to encourage out-of-state horses to compete in California, returns for its 12th year at the oceanside oval's summer meeting. This year's program offers a $5,000 starter bonus and a 50% purse supplement for any dirt runner. Turf horses earn a $4,000 starter fee and a 40% purse bonus. The purse bonuses extend to additional starts at the summer meet and are designed to increase all purses won by first through fifth finishers. Further, should a 'S...
An enhanced stakes schedule at Del Mar, featuring 34 major races with more than half of them boosted above their 2021 purse numbers resulting in a record gross value of $8,275,000, has been announced for its 31-day stand. Besides the major stakes, there also will be increases from $80,000 to $100,000 for all five of its overnight stakes. Major stakes purse raises will be in effect ranging from $25,000 to $100,000, notably including amplifications to a pair of Grade I offerings--the Bing Crosby S. on Saturday, July 30 climbing from...
Ask David Jerkens, Del Mar's racing secretary, what he considers a key ingredient to the success of the coastal venue's latest summer season, which wrapped Monday, and his answer is a testament to the early bird. "There was lots of enthusiasm--I could go way back to March, when my phone was ringing with questions regarding our 'Ship & Win' program," said Jerkens, of a particular bait, now into its 11th year, used to hook out-of-state runners. "I just felt that buzz around Del Mar earlier than normal." All told, the...
Del Mar has moved up first post for next weekend's races, which will now start at 1:30 p.m. to make sure its entire card is conducted in complete daylight. "We need to be sure that we've got plenty of daylight to keep our horses and riders safe," said DMTC vice president and racing secretary David Jerkens.
Del Mar's 'Ship & Win Program' will increase for the seaside track's 82nd season, beginning Friday, July 16. Ship & Win will provide horsemen and horsewomen who bring in out-of-state runners to race at Del Mar this summer a $4,000 starter bonus for their initial outing with a further 50% purse supplement for all dirt starters and a 40% purse supplement for all races run on turf. Those are the highest incentives provided since the program began in 2011. The purse bonuses extend to additional starts at the summer meet...
Del Mar has released its 2021 summer stakes schedule, with purse increases for 21 of its races making the total program worth 30% more than 2020. The GI TVG Pacific Classic will be worth $750,000--an increase of $250,000--when it is run Aug. 21. The purse of the GII Del Mar Mile has increased $150,000 to $300,000. Receiving $100,000 increases are the GII Del Mar H. (up to $300,000) and the July 17 GII San Diego H. (now worth $250,000). "This is one of the strongest stakes schedules in Del Mar's...
Del Mar released the first condition book for the seventh Bing Crosby Season, an eight-day book that will cover the first half of the 15-day meeting, which runs Oct. 31 through Nov. 29. The condition book is available on-line at www.dmtc.com/horsemen/condition-book. Hard copies also are being distributed at racing centers throughout California. "Our fall meet has just gotten better and better as we've gone along," said Del Mar's racing secretary David Jerkens. "We're again putting the emphasis on the two things that have worked very well for us in the...
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club outlined its fall stakes schedule consisting of 16 stakes worth $2,250,000 and will be presented through its 15-day Bing Crosby Season, beginning Oct. 31. Del Mar has added a pair of California-bred sprint stakes for juveniles that were not on its agenda the past two seasons. Nine of the 16 fall stakes are graded; nine of the 16 stakes will be run on turf; seven of the stakes--all of them on grass--will be presented over the track's extended closing weekend which begins Thanksgiving Day, and continues...
Given events at Santa Anita in the spring, it was understandable that Del Mar racing secretary David Jerkens approached the track's annual summer meet with both hope and a certain amount of trepidation. In the end, the track achieved what Jerkens called "unprecedented"--the entire seven week, 36-card meet played out with zero race-day fatalities. That works out to 0 for 2,372 starts. Of the four catastrophic injuries sustained during morning training, two were the result of a freak accident involving a loose horse. It's important to note that these numbers...