Del Mar cuts some stakes purses for summer meet

Del Mar has reduced stakes purses by $400,000 for its upcoming summer meeting from July 20 to Sept. 8 in an attempt to offset a deficit in its purse account.

Purses have been reduced by $50,000 for four races – the La Jolla Handicap for 3-year-olds on turf, and Yellow Ribbon Handicap for fillies and mares on turf, and two sprints for juveniles – the Best Pal Stakes and Sorrento Stakes for fillies.

The purses of eight races have been cut by $25,000 – the Cougar II Handicap, Fleet Treat Stakes, Real Good Deal Stakes, CTBA Stakes, Graduation Stakes, Rancho Bernardo Handicap, Generous Portion Stakes, and I’m Smokin Stakes.

The track offered $8.275 million in stakes purses in 2022 and 2023 and $7.15 million in 2021.

The purse cuts are part of a continuing trend at Southern California tracks in the last six months. Purses for some stakes were cut for the 2022 autumn meeting at Del Mar, and at the winter-spring and current spring meetings at Santa Anita.

Del Mar officials told the California Horse Racing Board earlier this year that the track had a deficit of more than $2 million in its purse account.

There have been reductions in prize money in overnight races since last fall, which is expected to continue at Del Mar this summer. The track has not released details of its everyday purses for the 31-day meeting.

The richest race of the season remains the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles, which has a value of $1 million and will be run on Aug. 31. Four other stakes will be held that day, notably three turf stakes – the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap, Grade 2 Del Mar Mile, and Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap.

Through the eight-week season, six races will be held that offer automatic berths to Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar on Nov. 1-2.

The winner of the Pacific Classic receives a berth to the BC Classic, while the winner of the Del Mar Handicap qualifies for the BC Turf. The Green Flash winner will receive a berth for the BC Turf Sprint.

The first of six Grade 1 races at the meeting is the $400,000 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs on July 27, which offers an automatic berth to the BC Sprint.

The winner of the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 3 will gain a berth to the BC Distaff. The winner of the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs on Aug. 24 will earn a berth to the BC Dirt Mile.

The conditions of the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf has been changed from a stakes. The $200,000 race was run as a handicap from 1988 to 2017.

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