Del Mar 2022: Deep fields tantalize bettors starting Friday

Horseplayers frustrated by the persistently short fields in Southern California will get a welcomed reprieve starting Friday when the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club kicks off its 83rd summer season.

With record purses and an enhanced “ship and win” bonus program helping to lure horses to the seaside oval, average field size for opening weekend at Del Mar is a robust 10.5 starters per race before scratches.

“It’s a small sample size, but I think this shows what California racing can be when everyone is dialed in and focused,” Del Mar racing secretary David Jerkens said Thursday after entries were taken for an 11-race program on Sunday.

Last summer, Del Mar averaged a healthy 8.5 starters per race. That helped fuel a track record $18.4 million in daily average handle. By contrast, at the marathon six-month Santa Anita winter-spring meet that ended June 17, average field size was 7.09 starters per race and average daily handle was just under $8.3 million, according to Equibase figures.

Gary Fenton, managing partner of the racing partnership Little Red Feather and chairman of Thoroughbred Owners of California, said Little Red Feather has its largest roster of horses ever at Del Mar.

“We have 40 horses down here and eight running on opening weekend,” Fenton said. “This is a record for us. We have more than 300 partners involved. Hopefully it’s going to be a big, big meet for us in terms of numbers and in terms of quality."

Purses at Del Mar this summer will average just over $800,000 per day, Jerkens said. In addition to what are lucrative pots by California standards, field size at Del Mar is again buoyed by the track's recruitment of horsemen from out of state.

Among trainers setting up shop at Del Mar this summer from outside California are Robertino Diodoro, Patrick Biancone, Mike Maker, Brendan Walsh, Jack Sisterson, Jeff Engler, Todd Fincher, Armando de la Cerda, Herman Wilensky and Rachel Keithan.

“We just like to make sure everyone is aware of what we’re offering and what we provide,” Jerkens said. “We have a great safety record. Things like the weather. I know first-hand how bad it can be back east and in the midwest. Del Mar provides something no other track can in that regard.”

Jerkens said horse inventory at Del Mar is “on par” with recent seasons, but it doesn't tell the whole story. From his perspective, there is also another dynamic in play that should benefit the betting product.

“We have a certain number we’re comfortable with in terms of assigning stalls. But I think a lot of times people carry horses that are part of the inventory but they’re not, quote unquote, race ready,” Jerkens said. “I feel this summer, we’ve assigned stalls to different barns that brought race-ready horses.”

Of 32 races carded for opening week, only five have fields with fewer than 10 horses. 

Del Mar's summer stand runs for eight weeks ending on Sept. 11. After a three-day week to get things started, Del Mar will typically run a Thursday through Sunday schedule with first post at 5 p.m. EDT. After opening day, first post on Fridays will be 7 p.m. EDT until Aug. 26 when it is pushed up to 6 p.m. EDT.