Del Mar main track opens for training

DEL MAR, Calif. – Del Mar's main track opened for training on Saturday morning, and a number of horsemen, already in town for the meet, had their horses on the track as the countdown began for opening day on Wednesday.

"Happy to be here," said Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, who had numerous sets of runners visit the track, which he said "looks good so far."

The main track was banked in advance of this meet, and it's quite noticeable on the turns, where the heads of exercise riders peered over a fence that previously obscured them from view.

Anna Wells, an assistant to Art Sherman who also gallops horses, said the outside rail midway around the clubhouse turn seemed lower, the illusion created by the new banking. She had high praise for the way the surface felt on Saturday morning.

"It's real good," Wells said.

Horses were allowed on the grounds on Thursday, and on Friday, the training track was open during morning hours. The turf course will be open for works on Sunday.