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Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Facts

 

The Del Mar race meet opens on Wednesday, July 21 and runs through Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010.  It will be the seaside track’s 71^st season of Thoroughbred sport.

 

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will feature its usual prestigious stakes schedule highlighted by the 20^th running of its foremost stakes race - the $1,000,000 Pacific Classic on Saturday, August 28^th.

 

Del Mar has been one of the leading tracks in the country in terms of daily average attendance for the last two decades.  In 2009, the average attendance was 17,178 per day.  Del Mar is also among the nation’s leaders in daily average handle and in 2009 it registered in at $13,039,998, the best by far of any track in California and the fifth highest in its 70-year history.  Since its inception in 1970, DMTC has paid over $694.9 million in taxes, fees and grants to the state and its agencies and municipalities, as well as various equine and community charities.

 

Track Specifications       The main track is the one-mile oval covered with the engineered surface Polytrack with chutes for 7/8 and 1-1/4 mile races.  Inside it, the turf course is a 7/8-mile oval with a diagonal straightway chute for 1 1/16 and 1 1/8 mile races. It is covered with a sturdy mixture of Common and Hybrid Bermuda (GN-1) grass.

 

Telephone                        858-755-1141-Information Line- 858-793-5533

 

Website                              http://www.delmarracing.com or http://www.delmarscene.com

 

Location                           In the City of Del Mar, 20 miles north of downtown San Diego, 100 miles south of Los Angles on I-5.

 

Post Times                       First Post daily at 2 p.m. with the exception of Fridays (first post is at 4 p.m.)

 

Ticket Office                   Toll free number: 877-LETSBET (877-538-7238)

 

Basic Admission            Clubhouse Daily Admission (seat not included) ……………….....………..$10

Pricing                              Clubhouse Reserved Seats (varies by race day) …………….......………$5-$10

                                                      ($15 Opening Day/PC Day)

(*Paid admission             Stretch Run Daily Admission (seat not included)…………....................……$6

includes official               Stretch Run Reserved Seats (varies by race day) ……………......………$5-$10

program)                                     ($15 Opening Day/PC Day)

                                            Stretch Run Admission/Active Duty Military (Must show I.D.) ....…...FREE

 

Diamond Club              Members receive 50% off their Clubhouse and Stretch Run admissions every day. Membership is free with sign-up at track.

 

Parking                          General $8; Valet $20; Early Bird $8; Bus Parking no charge

 

Group Sales                  Groups of 20-2,000-Infield Pacific Pavilion, Stretch Run and Clubhouse theater-type seating, Clubhouse Terrace Restaurant and Stretch Run Grill (for 20 or more), Skyroom, Celebrity Suites, Il Palio Restaurant and Turf Club Luxury Suite.  Direct line 858-792-4234

 

Camp Del Mar              Ages 5-12, Price $24 per day.  www.campdelmar.com

 

History

July 3, 1937- Del Mar opens, Bing Crosby welcomes patrons at the front gate.

August 12, 1938 - Seabiscuit wins the historic $25,000 match race that put Del Mar “on the map”.

September 7, 1970 - Fourteen years after John Longden became the world’s winningest rider with a victory at Del Mar, Bill Shoemaker displaces him with his record 6,033 triumph on filly Dares J.

August 10, 1991 - Golden Eagle Farm’s Best Pal wins the inaugural running of the $1 million Pacific Classic.

August 10, 1996 - Champion Cigar attempts to surpass Citation’s modern-day record of 16 straight wins.  The track hosts its largest crowd ever - 44,181 - and they watch a stunning upset by Dare and Go.

July 18, 2007 – 68^th season introduces the engineered racing surface Polytrack, installed at a cost of more than $9-million.

July 22, 2009 – 70^th season begins with largest ever on-track attendance (44,907).