Del Mar

IN-Person Owner Conference Forges Ahead Nov. 3

The in-person Owner Conference during Breeders' Cup week in Del Mar remains on course for Wednesday Nov. 3 from 8:30a.m. until 5:00p.m. followed by a conference dinner that evening. A location for the single-day conference location has yet to be finalized, however, the Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa is likely to be announced soon as this year's conference host site. "As part of the planning, it's important we know how many attendees to expect for the Conference to insure we have the correct number of hotel rooms, the correct...

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Breeders' Cup Possible For Sacred Bridge

Friday's G3 Round Tower S. heroine Sacred Bridge (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), who races in the colours of breeder Juddmonte, is a possible starter in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, as long as her European campaign concludes in satisfactory fashion, trainer Ger Lyons revealed to the Nick Luck Daily Podcast. The four-for-four bay's next target is the G1 Cheveley Park S. on Sept. 25. Lyons, who saddled his 1,000th winner on Monday, told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast, "The little filly gave me a 'wow' feeling on Friday--it...

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Jersey Joe No More, Bravo to Ride Permanently in California

When Joe Bravo decided to leave New Jersey because of new regulations banning the use of the whip, his future was unclear. Bravo, 49, needed a place to ride, but leaving the comfortable confines of Monmouth Park might be difficult. He had been riding at the Jersey Shore track since the late eighties and has been leading rider there 13 times. But rather than struggling outside of the Garden State, Bravo is having a meet to remember at his new home, Del Mar. With a week to go in the...

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Medina Spirit Returns a Winner in Shared Belief

Zedan Racing Stable's Medina Spirit (Protonico), whose GI Kentucky Derby title still remains in limbo due to a betamethasone positive, returned to the winner's circle with a wire-to-wire victory in the Shared Belief S. at Del Mar Sunday. The dark bay colt, sent off the 4-5 favorite, went quickly to the lead and was tracked by second choice Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) through a quarter in :22.52 and a half in :46.92. The two favorites were swarmed by longshots nearing the stretch as GI Santa Anita Derby winner...

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Del Mar Shifts Closing Weekend Post Times

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.

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Daredevil Filly Romps To 'Rising Star'-dom at Del Mar

Electric Ride (f, 2, Daredevil--Why Oh You, by Yes It's True) stormed home through the final furlong to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors on her Del Mar unveiling Saturday afternoon. Sent off at odds of 23-5 beneath an in-form Joe Bravo, the Indiana-bred bay broke alertly and took up a pace-pressing position from second through an opening quarter-mile that was timed in :22.19. Appearing to have front-running Gritty Girl (Street Boss) when she wanted, Electric Ride poked her head in front at the five-sixteenths pole, was shoved on entering the...

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Saturday Insights: Turf Maiden Kicks Off Travers Day Program

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, post time: 11:35 a.m. ET Though there are more fashionable pedigrees on display for the Saturday opener at the Spa, DAUNT (Nyquist) may present longshot players something to grab on to. Owned and bred by Marc Keller and trained by Bobby Ribaudo--who teamed to win back-to-back renewals of the GI Sword Dancer Invitational in 2007 and 2008 with Grand Couturier (GB)--the February-foaled dark bay is the first produce for his dam Promotional (Artie Schiller), third in the GIII Rood...

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C Z Rocket Seeks O'Brien Repeat

C Z Rocket (City Zip) will be looking to earn another automatic berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint when he attempts to defend his title in the 'Win and You're In' GII Pat O'Brien S. at Del Mar Saturday night. The 7-year-old gelding has hit the board in all 10 starts--with seven wins--since being claimed for $40,000 last April. He earned his first graded score in last year's Pat O'Brien and followed up with a win in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. before concluding the year with...

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Medina Spirit Supplemented to Shared Belief

Medina Spirit (Protonico) was supplemented, at a cost of $1,000, to Sunday's Shared Belief S., a one-mile event for 3-year-olds on the Del Mar main track. The $100,000 contest will be the first start for the colt since finishing third--beaten five lengths--by Rombauer in the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico May 15.  His victory in the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby victory remains in limbo pending a Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ruling. "I've entered him, he's running," Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. "I figure I'll use this as...

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Del Mar and LRF Cares Contest to Benefit Aftercare

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC), and LRF Cares, a 501(c)(3) sponsored charity and arm of Little Red Feather Racing, will host a live money on-track or online contest at Del Mar Saturday, Sept. 4. Benefitting Thoroughbred aftercare, the contest will allow a maximum of 150 players, each receiving a $250 live bankroll with the "takeout" going to guaranteed prizes and LRF Cares. Guaranteed prizes include 2021 $4,000--plus $1,000 travel--Del Mar Summer Handicapping Challenge entries and two 2022 National Horseplayer Championship (NHC) entries. Click here for more information and here...

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CARMA Fundraiser Raises over $125,000

The summer fundraiser for California Retirement Management Account raised more than $125,000 to help fund its retirement and aftercare programs. CARMAthon was promoted throughout Saturday's GI TVG Pacific Classic day card at Del Mar by TVG, which created and played videos showcasing Thoroughbreds who retired through CARMA's Placement Program in their second careers as sport horses and whose on-air commentators highlighted the importance of aftercare for the sport. "The success of CARMAthon means so much to us and the horses," said Billy Koch, CARMA's Treasurer and Little Red Feather Racing...

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Del Mar Sets Single-Day Wager Mark

Del Mar set a new single-day wagering mark when $36,005,613 was wagered on the track's GI TVG Pacific Classic day card Saturday. The previous record of $25,870,431 was set on Pacific Classic day in 2018. Saturday's card at the oceanside oval, which included five graded stakes, also offered a Pick Six Single Ticket Jackpot pool that finally topped out at $10,751,767. The pool consisted of a $1,874,996 carryover and "new" money of $8,876,771. Each winning ticket--and there were 822 of them--paid $10,521.50. The card had been designated as a "mandatory...

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