Del Mar expresses interest in hosting Breeders' Cup

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club outside of San Diego has sent an informational package to Breeders’ Cup expressing interest in hosting a future edition of the organization’s year-end event, the Breeders’ Cup’s chief executive said on Tuesday.

The packet did not specify when the track would like to host the event, said Breeders’ Cup chief Craig Fravel, who is the former president and general manager of Del Mar. The track, which is typically open from late July through early September, would need to expand its turf course in order to host the early November event, a renovation that is included in a development plan currently being considered by the Del Mar Fairgrounds, the state agency that owns the property.

Del Mar has expressed an interest in hosting the Breeders’ Cup several times in the past decade, but the width of its turf course has always prevented the track from launching a serious bid. The turf course is currently limited to 10 starters, whereas the Breeder’s Cup’s turf races allow for a maximum of 14 starters.

Officials for Del Mar did not immediately return phone calls on Tuesday.

The Breeders’ Cup is slated to be held at Santa Anita Park in Southern California later this year, but no track has been selected yet for the 2013 event. Fravel said that the organization has “no timetable” to naming the 2013 site, which is expected to be Santa Anita, Churchill Downs in Kentucky, or Belmont Park in New York.