Del Mar

The Breeders' Cup has launched their latest online promotion, "Dreaming of Del Mar," to grant one lucky fan and their guest a VIP experience to the Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar. Out of all entries, one fan will be selected at random to win an all-expenses paid trip for two to this year's World Championships. In addition to premium tickets in the exclusive Trophy Lounge chalet, the grand prize includes roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, a private tour of Del Mar racetrack, access to the paddock where...

Breeders' Cup will utilize 100% of seated capacity at Del Mar for the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships. Tickets will go on sale to the public at Noon ET and 9 a.m. PT Friday, July 16. Available seating options and pricing can be viewed now at BreedersCup.com/tickets. Del Mar is set to host the World Championships, one of Thoroughbred racing's most prestigious international events, for just the second time Nov. 5-6. "After conducting the 2020 World Championships without fans in attendance, we are delighted to be able to safely welcome...

Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) will pass the upcoming G1 Takarazuka Kinen and will instead be trained towards an appearance at the Breeders' Cup meeting at Del Mar in November, according to a report in the Sankei Sports (SANSPO) daily sports newspaper. A ¥160 million ($1,404,800) purchase as a yearling at the 2017 JRHA Select Sales, the 2019 G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) winner has been ambitiously campaigned this season, with a popular victory at home in the G2 Kyoto Kinen (2200mT) in February ahead of a game...

Trevor Denman will return to the announcer's booth at Del Mar after missing 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are very keen to get back to Del Mar," Denman said. Denman will call the track's 31-day summer season, return to his Minnesota farm and then come back to Southern California for the track's 15-day fall stand starting Nov. 3.

California's Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC) will open its 2021 summer race meet Friday, July 16, with 100% capacity in its seating areas. All attendees must obtain a seating package, which will include admission and parking passes, in advance. Seats will be on sale online Friday, June 18, with a pre-sale available Thursday, June 17. Reserved seating packages will also be available by phone (858-792-4242) beginning Monday, June 21. Under current California Department of Public Health guidelines, fans will be required to wear masks at Del Mar, except when eating...

Santa Anita Park and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club have joined forces to expand upon Del Mar's "Ship & Win" program as out-of-state horses, who make their first California-based starts in May and June at Santa Anita, will still be eligible for Del Mar's purse incentives, beginning with their Summer Meet opener July 16. Effective May 1, out-of-state horses can start up to twice at Santa Anita through closing day of the current 2021 Winter/Spring Meet June 20 and still be eligible for Del Mar's Ship & Win program bonuses....

Tickets for the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar, which will be staged Nov. 5-6, will go on sale to the public Friday, July 16 at Noon ET / 9:00 a.m. PT. Information including seating options and ticket pricing will be released early next month. In consideration of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Breeders' Cup is working in tandem with Del Mar and local and state health officials to ensure attendees' health and safety. Conducted at Del Mar without fans in 2020, the Breeders' Cup will be held...

   Gray horses have been in a GI Kentucky Derby rut the past 15 years. No fewer than 31 consecutive grays (or roans) have gone to post without winning on the first Saturday in May (or September) since Giacomo roared home in front at 50-1 in 2005. That's the longest Derby drought for grays in terms of consecutive starts since 1930, when Churchill Downs began compiling detailed records related to horse colors. There's an asterisk as to whether it's the longest stretch in terms of years. There was a 17-year...

The 2021 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series schedule will consist of 84 automatic qualifying stakes races into the Breeders' Cup World Championships, it was announced Tuesday. This year's series, which includes a record nine "Win and You're In" races for the $6-million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic division, will take place in 10 countries.  The complete 2021 schedule can be viewed here. Horses from around the globe will be qualifying through the Challenge Series for the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Del Mar racetrack...

Trainer William Morey picked up three for his stable while shopping the 2-year-old sales in Ocala last spring. Two of them, led by the streaking GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks-bound Hush of a Storm (Creative Cause), will compete on Saturday's loaded program at Turfway Park. "Two have won stakes, and, of course, the other filly hasn't made the races," Morey said. "We've had some bitter and sweet, but lots of sweet along the way." Hush of a Storm, a $75,000 OBS Spring purchase (:21 3/5; consigned by de Meric Sales) by...

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...

As anti-whipping rules continue to evolve nationwide, one problem area that has emerged is the fairness of penalization. Do the various systems of fines and suspensions match the severity of the violations? Or, put more directly, are there ample deterrents on the books to keep a jockey from totally disregarding the number of times and manner in which a Thoroughbred is struck with the whip if the rewards of winning an important graded stakes like a Breeders' Cup race far outweigh the comparatively small dent a penalty might make in...