Quick Jump Out of the Gate for Del Mar

Opening day of the Del Mar summer meet is an annual rite of summer for racing fans and many Southern Californians who normally do not attend horseracing events, and this year’s opening weekend indicates increased popularity at the seaside track near San Diego.

On-track attendance was up 13.4% for the July 15-17 weekend, and overall pari-mutuel handle was up 14.3% for the meet that runs through Labor Day, Sept. 5, according to statistics from the track.

“It was great to see San Diegans and racing fans in general respond so positively to our opening week,” Del Mar Thoroughbred Club president Joe Harper said in a release. “Good crowds; good racing; good action at the window—that’s what Del Mar’s all about.”

Topped by the Friday opening-day crowd of 42,562, the three-day attendance totaled 76,962 for a daily average of 25,654. Last year the three-day average was 22,613, track officials said.

All-sources handle averaged $15,827,100 per day, compared with last year’s $13,848,778 three-day average.

California off-track wagering numbers showed healthy gains of 12.3% based on an increase of about $600,000 per day during the extended weekend. Out-of-state wagering gained 22% and on-track wagering was up 1.7%.

According to The Jockey Club Information Systems, there were 267 starts in 30 races over the course of the three days for an average of 8.90 runners per race, compared with an average 8.79 during the first three days of 2015 when 28 races attracted 246 starters. TJCIS reported three-day purse distribution of $1,987,565, down slightly from the $1,982,034 for opening weekend in 2015.