Business declines for Del Mar opener

DEL MAR, Calif. - Del Mar opened its 36-day summer meeting on Wednesday with a drop in ontrack attendance and all-sources handle compared to the corresponding day in 2018.

The ontrack audience of 31,276 was the lowest since 28,410 attended opening day in 1999, and was down 5.5 percent from the 33,112 in attendance last year. The all-sources handle, including ontrack, simulcasting and account wagering sources, was $14,843,399, a decline of 7.9 percent from the 2018 total of $16,131,881, but 5 percent higher than the 2017 figure of $14,101,063.

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The 10-race program was run without any mishap amidst a heightened state of concern over equine safety at Southern California track following 30 equine fatalities in training and racing at Santa Anita from late December to June 23.

“They all got back,” track chief executive officer Joe Harper said. “Fortunately, the racing gods were with us today. Everything worked out.

“We got through opening day. You feel the pressure a little more because it’s a big crowd and a lot of people only come out on opening day.”

Del Mar is following pre-race examination protocols put in place last month to place a greater emphasis on safety. A five-person panel of stewards and veterinarians is reviewing the racing, medical and training records of horses entered to race.

Harper said he and his staff met with the track outriders to discuss safety issues that could arise when horses are on the track before a race.

“We had a meeting with the outriders and we went over everything with them,” he said. “Those guys are sharp and can see a horse that is a little off. They have two vets to talk to.”

Later in the morning, Harper, the board of stewards and other track officials met with jockeys to review safety protocols.

“We talked about the state of the industry with them,” he said. “We told them, ‘The industry is on the brink. We have powerful people saying we should get rid of it.’”

Opening day of the summer meeting at Del Mar is known for drawing a large and festive audience. The 2012 opening day crowd reached 47,339, which Harper says put a tremendous strain on the track’s resources to accommodate customers who want to eat, drink, bet and move around the six-story facility.

Opening day crowds have been on a downward trajectory in the last few years and numbered as many as 42,562 in 2016 when opening day was on a Friday. Harper called Wednesday’s smaller audience “a perfect-sized crowd."

“It’s not too crowded,” he said. “We can handle mid-30s.”