Pacific Classic among Del Mar stakes purse cuts

Del Mar has made significant cuts to stakes purses for its upcoming summer meeting, most notably reducing the value of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic from $1 million to $500,000.

Friday, the track announced the 38-race schedule, which includes 32 six-figure stakes and six overnight races worth $65,000 each. The purses of 22 of the 32 six-figure stakes have been reduced, a reflection on business projections for a summer meeting that will be held without spectators because of the coronavirus outbreak. Without ontrack handle, the track is expecting a significant reduction in revenue for prize money.

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Lowering stakes purses is a trend throughout the nation as tracks struggle financially without ontrack business because of the pandemic. Earlier this spring, Santa Anita reduced purses for some stakes run in May and June.

The Del Mar summer season opens on July 10 and concludes on Sept. 7. Del Mar announced on Thursday that the track will largely run on a Friday-through-Sunday basis, eliminating racing on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

This is the first year the Pacific Classic will not have a $1 million purse. Launched in 1990, the Pacific Classic, for older horses at 1 1/4 miles, is the track’s signature race and a major prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The winner of this year’s Pacific Classic on Aug. 22 will receive a fees-paid berth to the BC Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

The winners of four other stakes at the meet will receive fees-paid berths to Breeders’ Cup races – the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes (Sprint), Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes (Distaff), Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap (Turf), and Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes (Dirt Mile).

Aside from the Pacific Classic, there are five other Grade 1 races at the summer meeting – the Bing Crosby, Clement Hirsch, Del Mar Oaks, Del Mar Debutante and Del Mar Futurity. The purses of those races have been reduced $50,000 each, to $250,000, the minimum amount required to maintain Grade 1 status this year.

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Three stakes run in previous seasons are not among those listed for this meet – the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap, Harry Brubaker Stakes, and Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf.

One race has been added – the $65,000 Smiling Tiger, a restricted race for 3-year-olds at six furlongs on July 19.

The purses of nine stakes will remain the same as last year, notably the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 1, which will serve as a prep for the rescheduled Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Sept. 5.

The richest day of the meet is Aug. 22, which will include the Pacific Classic, $250,000 Del Mar Oaks, $200,000 Del Mar Handicap, $100,000 Green Flash Handicap, and $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes.