Del Mar fall meet enjoys strong business

DEL MAR, Calif. – Del Mar’s average daily handle was up slightly at the fall meeting that ended Sunday compared to a similar meeting two years ago, this despite the wet weather that significantly impacted two days during the final week of this meet, the track’s fifth fall season since Hollywood Park closed.

Del Mar played host to the Breeders’ Cup in 2017, so the attendance for those two days, plus the days on either side of the Breeders’ Cup, skewed that season’s numbers compared to the previous three fall meetings here.

The 16-day meet that ended Sunday had an average daily handle of $10,330,574, up from the $10,166,667 average for the comparable 15-day meet in 2016.

The daily average attendance was 4,620, compared to the 2016 average of 5,826, a dip of 20.7 percent, though the 2016 figures were boosted by three concerts or giveaways that have been moved to the summer season and that each lured more than 10,000 patrons two years ago. Attendance was impacted the final Thursday and Friday of this meet, when a storm contributed to numerous scratches. Seven of the scheduled 16 races those days had to be moved from turf to dirt.

Those scratches also impacted field size, which was on course to be more than eight horses per race but dipped to 7.7 in the final figures. Del Mar averaged 8.51 horses per race during the fall meeting in 2016.

The weekend closed with a flourish, with high-class racing that included a sweep of the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby and Grade 1 Matriarch by trainer Chad Brown and jockey Joel Rosario with Raging Bull and Uni, respectively.

“I’m really happy with this meet,” Joe Harper, Del Mar’s chief executive, said following the final race on Sunday. “More and more Eastern horsemen are realizing that we’re here. The last two days were terrific.

“The race today,” he said, referring to the Matriarch, “was like a mini-Breeders’ Cup race.”

Harper said playing host to the Breeders’ Cup last year, and having it on the docket again in 2021, should continue to raise Del Mar’s profile with out-of-state horsemen.

“Last year with the Breeders’ Cup, I think a lot more people figured out what Del Mar was all about, and as a result of that experience more are coming out,” Harper said.

Drayden Van Dyke captured his first Del Mar riding title during the summer meet, and was best at the fall meeting, too, by 17-16 over Flavien Prat, who won the title last fall.

Peter Miller continued his domination among trainers at Del Mar, winning the fall meeting for the third straight year. He won 15 races, six more than runner-up Jerry Hollendorfer. Miller also won the summer title.