Minor tweaks to juvenile stakes at Del Mar summer meeting

ARCADIA, Calif. – The stakes schedule for the Del Mar summer meeting, July 18 to Sept. 3, comprises 41 races with minimal changes from the 2017 season. The distances and conditions of four 2-year-old stakes are among the most prominent differences.

Two Grade 2 stakes for 2-year-olds – the Best Pal for both sexes and the Sorrento for fillies – have been shortened from 6 1/2 furlongs to six furlongs. The races are worth $200,000 each and lead to two Grade 1 races at seven furlongs on Labor Day weekend – the Del Mar Futurity and the Del Mar Debutante.

The conditions of two $100,000 stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds at six furlongs in late August – the I’m Smokin for both sexes and the Generous Portion for fillies – have been changed and are restricted to non-winners of a first-place purse of $50,000. The new condition will eliminate the winners of the first round of stakes for 2-year-old California-breds at the meeting – the Graduation for both sexes and the CTBA Stakes for fillies – run earlier that month.

Track officials are hoping the winners of the Graduation and CTBA stakes will start in open-company stakes for 2-year-olds on turf or the main track at the end of the meeting.

Overall, stakes purses will be worth $7.3 million, a decline of $100,000 from last year. The Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on July 21 will be worth $200,000, down from $300,000 in 2017. Last year, the race had a purse boost because of the presence of Arrogate, who had won the Dubai World Cup in his previous start. Arrogate could only finish fourth in a field of five in the San Diego.

The $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares will be run at a mile on turf. The race was run at 1 1/16 miles last year.