Among the other items on the upgrade list was the track's Jimmy Durante Turf Course, new shower stalls in the track's two-story living quarters, new flooring in 25 tack rooms, eight new wash racks throughout the barn area, dozens of barn balconies and stairways repaired or replaced, new camera towers in the quarter chute and the training track, additional morning workout light poles on the track's turns, six new admission booths for the grandstand and all new furniture in the stable area cafeteria.
When the new Del Mar season opens July 24, fans on both the front and backsides will notice some new improvements. The Del Mar season runs through Sept. 11, and racing is conducted every day but Tuesday throughout the summer stand.The track will spend more than $1-million when all is said and done on both backside and frontside facilities, renovations and repairs surrounding its annual meeting. "It's nothing real splashy; just some good, nitty-gritty improvements along with some needed fine-tuning," said Del Mar Thoroughbred Club president and general manager, Joe Harper.Some of the new improvements include the construction of new barns on the backside. One new barn will have 38 stalls and 16 tack rooms, doubling the number of living quarters that were available in the old building.
