Del Mar Adds Aug. 31 Race Date to Schedule
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club announced Aug. 3 that the track will run a make-up day of racing Aug. 31. Track officials expect to present a 10-race card starting at 2 p.m. PT. The added date means Del Mar will finish up the 2020 summer meet with two four-day weekends—Aug. 28-31 and Sept. 4-7.
The Southern California track opted to cancel the July 17-19 weekend race cards after 15 jockeys tested positive for COVID-19. All of Del Mar's jockeys and jockey room personnel were tested by San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency staff as requested by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. Track officials ordered the testing of all the jockeys and jockeys' room personnel after two riders, Flavien Prat and Victor Espinoza, tested positive for COVID-19.
On the heels of a recently announced 10% purse increase, the seaside track's extra day will bring the number of race days for its 81st summer season to 27. Originally, 28 racing days had been planned. Racing returned July 24 at Del Mar and the track also added a day July 27 to make up for the missed days.The track's racing office has also been adding extra races to its regular cards to make up for the lost date as the meet moves through its scheduled Friday through Sunday timetable.
To ensure safety, the track also announced that only jockeys based in California are permitted to ride at Del Mar for the remainder of the meeting. Under Del Mar's policy, until further notice, local jockeys who leave the track to ride at other venues will not be allowed to ride again at Del Mar for the remainder of the summer racing meeting. Additionally, Del Mar officials re-configured and expanded the track's jockeys' quarters and moved some functions that normally take place there to adjacent areas.
Del Mar has been providing health screening, monitoring, and testing resources for barn area workers and essential personnel during its summer meet, which is being held for the first time in history without spectators. The meet began July 10 and will conclude on Labor Day, Sept. 7.