Limited General Admission at Del Mar Starting July 23
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Photo: Benoit Photo
The San Diego Handicap field races toward the wire opening weekend at Del Mar
Del Mar will begin allowing limited general admission sales when racing resumes Friday, July 23, the Southern California track announced July 20.
During the summer meet's opening weekend July 16-18, Del Mar required all patrons to have a reserved seat, limiting attendance by not allowing walk-around admittance due to COVID-19 concerns.
"We began the season cautiously, as our reopening plan was limited to seated capacity. Operations went so well opening weekend that we are now making limited general admission and walk-up sales available for our fans, including Diamond Club discounts at the gate," Del Mar announced on its social media platforms Tuesday.
"On behalf of Del Mar, thank you for your continued support and patience as we all have adapted to the changing circumstances and continue to return to normal.
"We look forward to welcoming you back to the track."
Del Mar handled more than $80.5 million its opening weekend, almost a 17% increase over last year, when virtually all of its betting came from off-track and advance deposit wagering platforms during spectatorless racing amid COVID-19. Opening day attendance was 15,874, about half the size of the pre-pandemic 2019 opener.
Friday's card will feature eight races with a first post time of 4:00 p.m. PT. The feature race is the $175,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for Golden State Eligible California-bred or -sired 3-year-old fillies spriniting seven furlongs on the main track.