Part of Pacific Classic card to be simulcast in Hong Kong

Part of Saturday’s Pacific Classic program at Del Mar is going global.

For the first time for Del Mar, three stakes on Saturday’s program, including the Grade 1 Pacific Classic, will be simulcast for wagering to Hong Kong.

The arrangement to simulcast a non-Breeders’ Cup race from the United States to Hong Kong is a first since the Kentucky Derby in 2012, according to Bill Nader, the president of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. Nader was formerly a high-ranking official with the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

With the time change between California and Hong Kong, the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap, $1 million Pacific Classic, and Grade 2 Del Mar Mile – the final three races on Saturday’s program – will be available for betting in Hong Kong in a separate mutuel pool on Sunday morning.

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In a recent interview, Nader described the simulcasting agreement as a “little bit of a breakthrough” in showcasing three top races in California to a lucrative gambling market.

“It’s not a game changer,” he said. “In regard to branding and embracing a new opportunity, it’s a big step forward.”

The Hong Kong Jockey Club takes a selective approach to international simulcasting, often focusing on leading races from Australia, Europe, or Japan. In addition to Del Mar, the Hong Kong Jockey Club will have simulcasting from France and Germany this weekend.

Revenue from the simulcasting arrangement could not come at a better time for Del Mar. The track has sustained business declines at the current summer meeting after reducing some purses before the start of the meeting because of lower handle figures in 2023.

Hong Kong is known for its robust handle. An 11-race Sunday program in early June had a handle of approximately $192.2 million, which included simulcasting of a Grade 1 race from Japan and a Group 1 race from France, while a nine-race program on a Thursday in early July handled $163.5 million.

Nader projects strong handle for the Pacific Classic program, even with early post times on Sunday in Hong Kong.

“I think it will be in the neighborhood of $1 million per race,” Nader said. “It could be more. If it was prime time, and it was a Grade 1 race from Japan, it would be more like $5 million.

“It’s new content coming from California.”

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