A change to the Pick Six wager that is expected to offer large payoffs and re-energize what has been California's most popular exotic bet will have its debut with the opening of the annual Del Mar fall race meeting.
Highlighted by its most successful single day ever, a sparkling parade of stakes races, and a continuing enhancement of its reputation as a sporting-entertainment venue, Del Mar raced to an uplifting finish to its 77th summer season Sept. 5.
Klimt surged past favored early leader Straight Fire in the stretch and drew off to about a four-length victory in the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) Sept. 5 at Del Mar.
Three potential stars head the field in Monday's 69th Futurity: Klimt, Chasing Aces, and Straight Fire.
Union Strike became freshman sire Union Rags' first graded stakes winner at the highest level in the Sept. 3 Debutante Stakes (gr. I) at Del Mar. American Cleopatra, a full sister to American Pharoah, was second. The final time was 1:23.22.
Undefeated Sobradora Inc announced her arrival in the U.S Aug. 7 at Del Mar, where she took the Osunitas Stakes, but will take a significant step up against an accomplished group of turf runners Sept. 4 in the $200,000 John C. Mabee Stakes (gr. IIT).
Gary Barber's Monster Bea and Abbondanza Racing's Free Rose, who won the first two legs of the Del Mar turf series for 3-year-olds, will have a rubber match of sorts Sept. 4 in the Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT).
Champagne Room broke her maiden in the grade II Sorrento by 1 1/4 lengths and now heads a field of the most impressive fillies from Del Mar's loaded 2-year-old summer slate in the Del Mar Debutante (gr. I).
Fox Hill Farms' undefeated champion Songbird, now settled back in at her home base in Southern California following a pair of grade I wins at Saratoga Race Course, put in her first workout Aug. 31 in preparation for the $1 million Cotillion (gr. I).
The scratch of odds-on morning-line favorite Enola Gray opened the door of opportunity in the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes (gr. III) Aug. 28 at Del Mar and Belvoir Bay shot right through it.
The $200,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes (gr. II) didn't look like a top race with an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) on the line Aug. 27 at Del Mar.
After noticing Reddam Racing's Nyquist was getting a little skinny at Del Mar, trainer Doug O'Neill decided to send the Uncle Mo colt north on Interstate 5 to train at the much more relaxed San Luis Rey Training Center.
Nick Alexander's homebred Enola Gray will take an undefeated record into the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes (gr. III) Aug. 28 at Del Mar, but the lightly raced Grazen filly will be up against the toughest field she's ever faced.
With a motivation to give its horses and horsemen more time to adapt and transition to its racing surfaces, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club applied for and was granted a later start date for its 2017 summer race meeting.
Jim Rome thought he would eventually start to get over losing Shared Belief. The horse owner and syndicated sports talk radio star thought time would help.
A substantial group of animal rights advocates, with local television cameras not far behind, made their voices heard at the California Horse Racing Board's full monthly meeting Aug. 25 at Del Mar.
Masochistic, one of the top sprinters in 2015, made a strong return to racing in a July 8 allowance race at Santa Anita Park after a nine-month layoff and has been training forwardly for the $200,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 27 at Del Mar.
California Chrome streaked to a five-length win over Beholder and Dortmund in Saturday's TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club to earn a spot in this fall's Breeders' Cup Classic.
Ashleyluvssugar held off a furious rally from Metaboss to win the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap and a place in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf starting gate. Experience Saturday's Del Mar thrills and social scene firsthand in this new video.
Three Southern California racetracks and the Thoroughbred Owners of California have agreed to a three-year calendar that maintains year-round racing.
Zayat Stables' homebred American Cleopatra, a full sister to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, drilled six furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 22 in preparation for her scheduled start in the Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) early in September.
A Veneri Racing and Little Red Feather Racing's Midnight Storm put in a repeat performance on the Southern California grass Aug. 21 to win the $200,000 Del Mar Mile Handicap (gr. IIT) in front-running fashion.
Barn CC on the Del Mar backside had a party-like atmosphere Sunday morning—with a large group of connections and fans huddled around the 2014 Horse of the Year's stall—following what Sherman called the best performance of his career.
The margin was insignificant, because the field never had a chance against California Chrome Aug. 20 in the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic (gr. I).
Ashleyluvssugar opened a long, comfortable lead down the backstretch, then was all out in the stretch to deny fast-finishing Metaboss in the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap (gr. IIT) Presented by the Japanese Racing Association Aug. 20.
The best 3-year-old turf fillies in Southern California battled it out in a thrilling stretch run Aug. 20 in the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT), but an invader from the East ended up getting a head in front at the wire.
Hronis Racing's Stellar Wind logged her first breeze Aug. 20 since she defeated three-time champion Beholder in Clement L. Hirsch (gr. I).
Multiple graded stakes winners Ashleyluvssugar, Flamboyant, and Finnegans Wake will take the logical step forward on the Del Mar turf schedule for a run in the Del Mar Handicap (gr. IIT) Aug. 20.
On the Del Mar grass for the San Clemente Handicap (gr. IIT), Mokat found her best footing and won impressively. On Aug. 20 she'll return to the turf for the Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT).
Already a two-time graded winner going two turns, Tara's Tango added a sprint score to her résumé Aug. 17 in the $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Del Mar.
Three-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder worked a half-mile in :47 Aug. 16 at Del Mar, prepping to defend her title in the Aug. 20 TVG Pacific Classic (gr. I).
Bob Baffert will bid to win the Rancho Bernardo Handicap (gr. III) for a third time when he sends out Pretty N Cool and Enchanting Lady against grade I winner Tara's Tango Aug. 17 at Del Mar.
California Chrome worked five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 at Los Alamitos the morning of Aug. 14. The colt will ship to Del Mar Aug. 15 for Del Mar's TVG Pacific Classsic (gr. I) Aug. 20.
Quality Road colt impressive in stakes score
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club's third condition book will see a 5% reduction in overnight purses.
Champion and California freshman sire Acclamation gained his first winner Aug. 12 at Del Mar when son Accountability posted a game half-length victory in the eighth race.
Six 2-year-old males have been entered for the $200,000 Best Pal Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 10 at Del Mar, and every one has taken a different path to their first graded stakes try.
After Beholder's first workout since a second-place run in the Clement L. Hirsch (gr. I), trainer Richard Mandella is still mulling over whether to send the three-time champion to defend her title in the Aug. 20 Pacific Classic (gr. I) at Del Mar.
Yoshida Katsumi's Sobradora Inc changed continents and hadn't raced since December, but remained undefeated Aug. 6 at Del Mar with a victory in the $75,000 Osunitas Stakes.
In his second start since moving to trainer Richard Baltas and owner Abbondanza Racing, Free Rose provided a weekend stunner at Del Mar Aug. 6 in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIIT).
Trainer Peter Eurton saw enough in Champagne Room's first start July 16 at Del Mar that got him convinced to change plans for the daughter of Broken Vow.
Del Mar has never offered an elite race restricted to 3-year-olds and continues to see young stars ship east for lucrative purses.
Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron has been named the 2016 recipient of the Laffit Pincay, Jr. Award and will receive the honor in ceremonies at Del Mar Aug. 21.
Juddmonte Farms' Arrogate cruised to his third straight victory in Southern California Aug. 4 at Del Mar and may be heading east for the Aug. 27 Travers Stakes (gr. I).
Racing took full advantage of a five-weekend month of July but the gains in pari-mutuel handle and purses appear to go beyond kindness of the calendar.
Six runners from the Oceanside Stakes will try the La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIIT).
Two stakes-placed fillies, a recent maiden winner, and three maidens are entered to go to the gate in the $200,000 Sorrento Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 6 at Del Mar.
Spendthrift Farm's Lord Nelson got a perfect trip and made the best of it July 31 to collect his second straight grade I score in the $300,000 Bing Crosby at Del Mar.
Unlike her Triple Crown-winning sibling, Zayat Stables' homebred American Cleopatra won her debut at Del Mar.
If there was ever a time to celebrate, July 30 was the day for trainer John Sadler, who saddled Stellar Wind to an upset victory over Beholder in the Clement L. Hirsch (gr. I) on his 60th birthday.
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