Del Mar sets stakes-packed Bing Crosby meet schedule
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will conduct its sixth fall racing meet – officially titled the Bing Crosby Season in a salute to the seaside track’s founder – with 14 stakes worthy $1.95 million scheduled during a 15-day session starting on Friday, November 8, and running through to Sunday, December 1.
Nine of the 14 stakes are graded, led by the Grade 1 pair of the November 30 Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds and the December 1 Matriarch Stakes for fillies and mares, both of which will carry $300,000 purses at the conclusion to the meet.
“We think our fall meet has found a good groove now, not only in California, but with horsemen across the country,” said Del Mar’s Executive Vice President of Racing Tom Robbins. “Interest in our overall schedule in general and our stakes races in particular has resonated with both our locals and major outfits as far away as New York and Kentucky.
"We’re expecting a steady fall session with some highlight racing adding a special pizzazz to it all.”
The shore oval’s fall stand showcases top-rung turf racing with nine of its 14 stakes run on the lawn – seven of them graded events. Foremost among them are the two Grade 1s listed previously and they are joined by a pair of Grade 2 tests, the $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup on Friday, November 29, and the $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap on Saturday, November 30.
Racing will be conducted Friday, Saturday and Sunday of opening week, then on a Thursday-through-Sunday basis for the balance of the meet.
First post daily will be a 12:30 p.m. PT on all racing days with the exception of the track’s special holiday card on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 28 when racing begins at 11 a.m. and the feature event will be the Grade 3 Red Carpet Stakes for fillies and mares on the grass.
There will be a quartet of stakes offered for 2-year-olds, led off by the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes at six and a half furlongs on Sunday, November 10. The other juvenile presentations are the Grade 3, $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs on Saturday, November 16; the Grade 3, $100,000 Jimmy Durante Stakes for fillies at a mile on the turf on November 30; and the Grade 3, $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes, also at a mile on turf, on closing day.
As in its past seasons, Del Mar’s racing office plans to card eight races during its weekday cards and nine for the weekend programs.
The complete list of stakes follows:
| DATE | RACE / CONDITIONS | PURSE / DISTANCE |
|---|---|---|
| Fri. Nov 8 | Kathryn Crosby Stakes* Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up | $75,000 Added 1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sat. Nov 9 | Let it Ride Stakes* Three-year-olds | $75,000 Added 1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sun. Nov 10 | Desi Arnaz Stakes Fillies, Two-year-olds | $100,000 Guaranteed 6 1/2 Furlongs |
| Sat. Nov 16 | Bob Hope Stakes (G3) Two-year-olds | $100,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs |
| Sat. Nov 16 | Betty Grable Stakes Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up, Cal-Bred | $100,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs |
| Sun. Nov 17 | Native Diver Stakes (G3) Three-year-olds & up | $100,000 Guaranteed 1 1/8 Miles |
| Sat. Nov 23 | Cary Grant Stakes Three-year-olds & up, Cal-Bred | $100,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs |
| Sun. Nov 24 | Red Carpet Stakes (Gr3) Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up | $100,000 Guaranteed 1 3/8 Miles (Turf) |
| Thu. Nov 28 | Hollywood Turf Cup (G2) Three-year-olds & up | $200,000 Guaranteed 1 1/2 Miles (Turf) |
| Fri. Nov 29 | Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3) Fillies, Two-year-olds | $100,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sat. Nov 30 | Seabiscuit Handicap (G2) Three-year-olds & up | $200,000 Guaranteed 1 1/16 Miles (Turf) |
| Sat. Nov 30 | Hollywood Derby (G1) Three-year-olds | $300,000 Guaranteed 1 1/8 Miles (Turf) |
| Sun. Dec 1 | Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3) Two-year-olds | $100,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sun. Dec 1 | Matriarch Stakes (G1) Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up | $300,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (Turf) |
* Indicates Overnight Stakes