Del Mar Increases Summer Stakes Purses

Building on its prior announcement of a 30% increase to overnight purses and enhancements to its popular "Ship & Win" program, Del Mar announced March 4 a 30% boost to summer stakes purses. Last year's purses were impacted by the onset of COVID-19.

In 2020, the track presented 32 major stakes worth $5.175 million. This year there will be two additional stakes and purses will total $6.75 million. The track will also stage five overnight stakes worth $80,000 that are included in the attached stakes schedule.

Twenty-one of this season's major stakes show increases from 2020 beginning at $25,000 and rising to $250,000. Notable in those escalations are an additional quarter-million dollars added to the TVG Pacific Classic (G1), raising it to $750,000; $150,000 to the Del Mar Mile (G2T) making it worth $300,000, and $100,000 each to the Del Mar Handicap (G2T) (up to $300,000) and the San Diego Handicap (G2) (now worth $250,000).

Even with a rise from last year, the Pacific Classic falls short of the $1 million or more it was worth from its inception in 1991 through 2019.

"This is one of the strongest stakes schedules in Del Mar's history," said David Jerkens, Del Mar's racing secretary. "We have increased purses virtually across the board. I am really excited to see the level of quality our stakes program will attract, especially being the home of the Breeders' Cup this year."

Del Mar again will host the Breeders' Cup this fall, presenting the World Championships Nov. 5-6. It held it previously in 2017.

Two stakes that took a hiatus in 2020 will return, the Cougar II Stakes (G3) and the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf, both carrying $100,000 purses.

Del Mar once again will present a power-packed program around its signature event, the TVG Pacific Classic (G1), scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 21. As it has done for the past several years, the track will offer four additional stakes that afternoon: the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks (G1T); the Del Mar Handicap (G2T); the Del Mar Mile (G2T), and the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes (G3).

It also will feature a stakes triple-header on its opening day, Saturday, July 17. The traditional opening day headliner—the $100,000 Runhappy Oceanside Stakes—will be on the bill, joined by the San Diego Handicap (G2) and the Osunitas Stakes, an overnight offering that carries an $80,000 purse.

There will be six grade 1s over the course of the summer—the $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) July 31; the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) Aug. 1; the Del Mar Oaks (G1T) and the TVG Pacific Classic (G1), both Aug. 21; the $300,000 Del Mar Debutante (G1) Sept. 5, and the $300,000 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (G1) Sept. 6, which is closing day.

As it has in all recent seasons, Del Mar will present five Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" races which give their winners automatic admittance and entry fees to parallel Breeders' Cup races. They are:

Bing Crosby Stakes (guaranteeing admission and entry fees to the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint); Clement L. Hirsch Stakes ($2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff); the Del Mar Handicap ($4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf); TVG Pacific Classic ($6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic), and the $200,000, Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) ($1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile).

Further, the track once more will tender its usual complement of eight California-bred stakes, part of the Golden State Stakes Series that consists of 36 stakes worth more than $4.4 million. Those stakes are the $175,000 Fleet Treat Stakes, the $150,000 California Dreamin' Stakes, the $175,000 Real Good Deal Stakes, the $100,000 CTBA Stakes, the $100,000 Graduation Stakes, the $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes, the $100,000 Generous Portion Stakes, and the $100,000 I'm Smokin Stakes.

Del Mar will open with a weekend of racing July 17-18, then go into a Thursday-through-Sunday format for the balance of the meet leading up to the closing card on Labor Day, Sept. 6. First post daily will be 2 p.m.