Pacific Classic Day handle declines; Hong Kong handles $5.43 million on stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. – Attendance rose modestly while all-sources handle fell sharply on Saturday’s Pacific Classic program at Del Mar, the richest day of racing at the track’s summer meeting.

According to figures released Saturday evening, all-sources handle was $22,879,604, a decline from $27,757,766 from the corresponding day in 2023. Saturday’s handle figure was the lowest for a Pacific Classic program since the day produced a handle of $19.3 million in 2015.

The most significant decline in handle on Saturday occurred in the pick six. In 2023, the track had a mandatory payout of a 20-cent jackpot pick six pool on Pacific Classic Day, drawing a pool of more than $3.9 million. The jackpot bet devoted a portion of the net pool to a single-ticket winner, or into a carryover until a single-ticket winner occurred or a program with a mandatory payout was held.

:: DRF's Del Mar Handicapping Packages: Get everything you need to play the races with confidence.

This summer, the track is offering a $1 pick six with a payout to tickets with six winners, or a carryover if there are not six winners, as well as a daily consolation payout. The pick six pool on Saturday was $444,047.

Saturday’s ontrack attendance was 12,484, slightly higher than 12,318 from 2023.

In addition to the all-sources handle reported Saturday, Del Mar simulcast three of its five stakes races for the first time to the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which produced a separate pool handle of more than $5.43 million, well above projections of $3 million.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.