Del Mar schedule has 38 stakes in summer meet

Del Mar is planning a $7,825,000 stakes program for its summer meet with 38 stakes led by the 35th edition of the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic.

The Pacific Classic will be run on Saturday, Aug. 30, as the centerpiece for a card offering five graded stakes and more than $2 million in purses, including a pair of Grade 2 features, the $300,000 Del Mar Handicap and the $300,000 Del Mar Mile, both on turf.

The summer meet will begin Friday, July 18, and run through Sunday, Sept. 7. It will cover eight weeks and 31 racing days in all.

For the fourth time and second year in a row, Del Mar will host the Breeders’ Cup at the beginning of its fall season, a factor that figures to enhance its summer stakes program with horsemen and horsewomen looking for opportunities to give their charges a feel for the surroundings. This year’s 42nd edition of the Breeders’ Cup, with $34 million in purses and awards, will take place on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

In addition to the Pacific Classic, there will be five other Grade 1 stakes  during the session plus nine Grade 2 offerings and six Grade 3s.

Half of the 38 races, which include five overnight stakes, will be contested on the turf and eight of the stakes will be for California-breds, offering a total of $1 million in purses. Additionally, the five overnight stakes each will carry a purse of $100,000.

The entire stakes schedule is available on the Del Mar website.

“Our stakes schedule is a very compelling program with something for everyone,” Del Mar vice president and racing secretary David Jerkens said. “The initial feedback from our owners and trainers has been very encouraging. We can’t wait to get started.”