Handle, Purses Down Slightly at Del Mar
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Photo: Benoit Photography
Del Mar racing
Despite its most successful single day ever, Del Mar saw declines in its major economic indicators at the meet that concluded Sept. 5.
At the 39-day meeting total handle of $465,285,525 was down 3.67% from last year's 40-day meet. This year's daily average handle of $11,930,398 was down 1.2% from last year's summer meet.
Total purses at Del Mar were down 9.7% to $22,007,677 compared with last year. Average daily purses declined 7.4% to $564,299.
Total attendance for the session was 524,439 for an average of 13,447.
The track reported that its handle and attendance numbers were again the best of any meet in California. One of its key indicators—field size—closed strongly to finish up at 8.31 per race, placing it among the best the nation has to offer.
"We finished our summer in really strong fashion," said Del Mar president Joe Harper. "Big fields, world-class racing, and enthusiastic fans; that's what Del Mar is about and it surely is fun to be part of something so good."
The meeting's top day was Aug. 20 when California Chrome electrified a crowd of 24,155 on track and a national audience with a smashing score in the $1-million TVG Pacific Classic (gr. I). Handle numbers that afternoon were the best ever registered at Del Mar as $25,126,232 poured through the windows from all-sources, eclipsing the previous single-day record of $24,667,351 set on Pacific Classic Day in 2007.
Del Mar's executive vice president for racing Tom Robbins threw out a special salute to Southern California horsemen, who responded favorably to the track's schedule and offerings.
"Our owners, trainers, and riders all rose up to make this another special summer at Del Mar," Robbins said. "There were issues with many of the young horses fighting coughs and minor illnesses in the early portion of the meet, but we finished well with big fields in our last weeks, averaging more than 8.73 horses a race since Pacific Classic Day and over 9.34 horses a race this final week. The caliber of racing, especially among our stakes horses, was as good as I can ever remember here and racing fans had to be pleased by what we presented them throughout the meet."