Record-breaking Del Mar handle bodes well for purse account

DEL MAR, Calif. – Record-breaking handle on Saturday’s Pacific Classic program, combined with strong business in recent weeks, has led Del Mar officials to raise expectations for total handle at the current summer meeting and hint that a purse increase is possible for the fall Del Mar meet and next year’s summer meet.

Saturday’s 11-race program had an all-sources handle of $36,024,030, a track record for a non-Breeders’ Cup program. The previous mark of $25.8 million for a non-Breeders’ Cup day was set on Pacific Classic Day in 2018.

“The really solid, successful 2021 summer meeting hit a high point,” said Mike Ernst, Del Mar’s chief financial officer. “With five stakes and the tremendous national interest that was pretty special.”

Earlier this month, Ernst said the track was projecting a total handle of $500 million for the 31-day season, which began on July 16 and continues through Sept. 6. Ernst said on Sunday that recent business indicates $540 million is possible.

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“My projection is $540 million,” he said. “We’ll be well past $500 million. The purse account is going to be in very good shape for next year and the fall.”

The all-time record handle for a summer meeting of $608.9 million was set during a 43-day season in 2005. An all-sources handle of $540 million this year would rank seventh on the all-time list, but the first to crack $500 million in a race meeting shorter than 43 days. Del Mar has cut racing days at the summer meeting since 2008 in an effort to boost field sizes.

Last year’s meeting was run over 27 days, and the 2017-19 meetings were run over 36 days. Racing was held on Wednesdays in those years and the season was spread over seven weeks instead of the current eight weeks.

Purses have been on an upswing in Southern California this year, with hikes at Los Alamitos and Santa Anita.

Ernst said details of any potential purse increase will be discussed with the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the state’s official horsemen’s representative.

Purses for the Del Mar meeting are above those of the 2020 season. In late July, the track raised purses for two stakes by a total of $300,000 because of strong business in the early weeks of the meeting. The purse of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic was increased from $750,000 to $1 million, while the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 4 will be worth $250,000, a $50,000 increase from this year’s original stakes schedule.

Saturday’s program was boosted by a record pick six pool of $8,876,771 on a day when the bet had a mandatory payout.

The pick six, which has a jackpot format, had a carryover of $1,874,996 from Friday. The bet paid $10,521.

This is the first year Del Mar has offered a 20-cent pick six with a jackpot format that pays out the entire pool on days when there is one winning ticket, which has happened once at the summer meeting. There will be a mandatory payout on closing day.