Del Mar Resumes Racing After Hilary Cancellation

Things are getting back to normal at Del Mar following the Aug. 20 impact of Tropical Storm Hilary. There are still some remnants of the storm. Large puddles of water and mud remain in parts of the stable area but much has dried out and the pens and walking rings are back in use.

Rain gauges on the backstretch measured 2 1/2 inches of precipitation by the time Hilary exited Del Mar, enough to flood some areas between the stables, though the stalls and the horses themselves remained dry. The Sunday card was canceled before the storm arrived.

"We were pretty fortunate," trainer Peter Eurton said. "Being on this end (of the backstretch), it's flat and has a little better drainage."

"We did have a little water in between," trainer Marcelo Polanco said, "but on the sides nothing happened."

About 80 horses were transported off the grounds and sent to either Los Alamitos Race Course or San Luis Rey Training Center. These were horses who were normally kept outside in pens and were vulnerable to the weather conditions. Some were moved inside but once the empty stalls were filled, the excess had to be shipped out temporarily.

Both dirt tracks were open Aug. 22 but only for jogging, no galloping or works were allowed. Training resumed Aug. 23 and racing continues as scheduled Aug. 24.