Del Mar boosts stakes purses, brings 2 back from hiatus

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has released this year’s summer stakes schedule, showing an increase of 30 percent to its major stakes purses compared with its 2020 racing season.

In 2020, the track presented 32 major stakes worth $5,175,000. This year, there will be two additional stakes and total purses will be $6,750,000, a value increase of 30 percent.

Twenty-one of this season’s major stakes show increases from 2020, beginning at $25,000 and rising to $250,000. Notable in those escalations are an additional quarter-million dollars added to the Grade 1 Pacific Classic, raising it to $750,000; $150,000 to the Del Mar Mile (G2) making it worth $300,000, and $100,000 each to the Del Mar Handicap (G2), up to $300,000 and the San Diego Handicap (G2), now worth $250,000.

“This is one of the strongest stakes schedules in Del Mar’s history,” said David Jerkens, Del Mar’s racing secretary. “We have increased purses virtually across the board. I am really excited to see the level of quality our stakes program will attract, especially being the home of the Breeders’ Cup this year.”

Del Mar again will host the Breeders’ Cup Nov. 5 and 6. It held the event previously in 2017.

Two stakes that took a hiatus in 2020 will return in 2021: the Cougar II Stakes (G3) and the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf, both carrying $100,000 purses.

Del Mar once again will present a power-packed program around its signature event, the Pacific Classic, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 21. As it has done for the last several years, the track will offer four additional stakes that afternoon: the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks (G1); the Del Mar Handicap (G2); the Del Mar Mile (G2), and the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes (G3).

It also will feature a stakes tripleheader on its opening day, July 17. The traditional opening day headliner ‚ the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes – will be on the bill, joined by the, $250,000 San Diego Handicap (G2) and the Osunitas Stakes, an overnight offering that carries an $80,000 purse.

There will be six Grade I events over the course of the summer ‚ the $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes on July 31; the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes on Aug. 1; the Del Mar Oaks and the Pacific Classic, both on Aug. 21; the $300,000 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 5, and the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity on Monday, Sept. 6, which is closing day.

As it has in all recent seasons, Del Mar will present five Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” races, all of which give their winners automatic admittance and entry fees to parallel Breeders’ Cup races. They are: the Bing Crosby Stakes (guaranteeing admission and entry fees to the $2 million BC Sprint); Clement L. Hirsch Stakes ($2 million BC Distaff); the Del Mar Handicap ($4 million BC Turf); Pacific Classic ($6 million BC Classic), and the $200,000, Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2 - $2 million BC Dirt Mile).

Further, the track once more will tender its usual complement of eight California-bred stakes, part of the Golden State Stakes Series that consists of 36 stakes worth more than $4.4 million. Those stakes are the $175,000 Fleet Treat Stakes, the $150,000 California Dreamin’ Stakes, the $175,000 Real Good Deal Stakes, the $100,000 CTBA Stakes, the $100,000 Graduation Stakes, the $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes, the $100,000 Generous Portion Stakes and the $100,000 I’m Smokin Stakes.

Del Mar will open with Saturday and Sunday (July 17, 18) cards, then go into a Thursday-through-Sunday format for the balance of the meet leading up to the closing card on Labor Day Monday, Sep. 6. First post daily will be 5 p.m. EDT.