DEL MAR, Calif. – All-sources handle at Del Mar from July 7-18 soared in comparison to a similar time frame in 2020, according to a track statement. The handle figures include Del Mar’s opening weekend of racing as well as simulcast betting before the meet opened. Los Alamitos closed its daytime Thoroughbred meet July 5, and Del Mar was awarded California’s simulcast dates beginning July 7. There was no racing in Southern California from the end of the Los Alamitos meet until Del Mar opened on July 16. :: Visit DRF's Del Mar shop for all your handicapping needs: Past performances, picks, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more Handle from ontrack, satellite, and account-wagering sources from July 7-18 reached $80,517,984, a gain of 16.9 percent over handle of $68,849,067 in a similar period in 2020. All-sources handle on Friday was $21,339,643, a record for a Del Mar opening day. The pre-meet simulcasting allowed Del Mar to accrue revenue for purses. The 11-day gap between the Los Alamitos and Del Mar meets boosted interest in the already highly anticipated opening week at Del Mar. Ontrack crowds for opening day typically top 30,000. But walk-up customers are not allowed during the current meeting, with attendance limited to customers who purchased seating in advance. Friday’s opening day drew an ontrack crowd of 15,874, the largest audience of the weekend. In 2019, the last year the track opened to everyone, the crowd reached 31,276 on opening day. Last year’s opening weekend was held without fans because of the coronavirus pandemic. Only track employees and essential personnel such as backstretch workers were in attendance. The first three days of the current meeting averaged a robust 9.19 runners per race, including an average of 10 runners for turf races. Last year, fields averaged 8.17 on all races over the first three days of the summer meeting, including 9.14 runners per race on turf. Del Mar pays purse bonuses to the owners of horses that were based outside of California before the meet. The program is designed to increase the population of active Thoroughbreds in Southern California, which has fallen in recent years. On opening weekend, 57 horses from other circuits were eligible for the bonuses, according to a track statement. The bonuses are paid primarily to the first five finishers of overnight races. Racing resumes for three days on Friday before the season extends to a four-day racing week beginning July 29. The season runs through Sept. 6.