Del Mar to Cut Overnight Purses 5%
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will cut its overnight purses 5% for the third condition book, officials told BloodHorse Aug. 13. A decrease in handle and a decrease in field size in main-track races are the culprits according to one Del Mar official.
The third condition book begins with the races of Aug. 24.
“With Santa Anita not having a turf course at the end of the meet, they drained the swamp of main track horses,” said Josh Rubenstein, executive vice president and COO of Del Mar.
The decreases will not affect the stakes program.
Even before the 2016 meet began, Del Mar reduced overnight purses for a second consecutive year.
BALAN: Del Mar Decreases Overnight Purses
"The reasoning is, we can only pay out what we generate from handle," Tom Robbins, Del Mar’s vice president of racing and industry relations said in June. "We've paid out, in the last two years, a little more than we've generated. This is not only set by us, but also the (Thorougbred Owners of California)."
Del Mar's biggest weekend comes Aug. 20 with the running of the TVG Pacific Classic (gr. I). The meet runs through Labor Day, Sept. 5.