AMERICAN TURF CLUB LEAD-DEL MAR 2015

By: JOE GIRARDI

               The summer for racing fans begins when the Del Mar and Saratoga meetings get underway. Del Mar will start there summer meeting on July 16^th and run through September 7^th. Saratoga starts the following week on July 24^th and they will run through September 7^th as well.

               This Del Mar meeting holds some extra excitement as they have moved back to conventional dirt. The synthetic experiment out in California has come to an end for now with Golden Gate Fields as the only track left without conventional dirt. The new dirt track will be something to monitor for the first few days to see if there are any early trends that you can take advantage of from a betting standpoint. Each track plays differently and even if a horse handles a dirt course, the dirt course at Del Mar will be different. The years of information about the synthetic course are now out the window but that will make for a very competitive meeting. From a betting standpoint there could be a lot of money to be made.

               There will be plenty of quality action on the racetrack as the stakes schedule gets underway on opening day with the traditional feature, the Oceanside stakes, for three year olds going a mile over the turf with a purse of $100,000. The first grade I of the meeting will be run two days later on Saturday, July 18^th when they run the Eddie Read Stakes. A race for three year olds and upward, run over 1 and 1/8^th miles, run over the turf with $400,000 as the purse. The following day they will host the Grade II San Clemente Handicap. A race for three year old fillies run over the turf at one mile with a purse of $200,000.

               On Friday July 24^th, Del Mar will host the Grade III Cougar II Handicap, for three year olds and upward run over 1 and ½ miles, with a purse of $100,000. On the very next day the Grade II San Diego Handicap will be run, a race for three year olds and upward, run over 1 and 1/16^th miles with a purse of $200,000. This race is a prep race for the highlight of the meeting the Pacific Classic which will be run on Saturday August 22^nd. On Sunday, the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes for three year olds and upward will be run over six furlongs with a purse of $300,000. This race usually gets some of the top sprinters in the country to line up in the starting gate.

               The following Saturday, the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch is on the calendar, a race for fillies and mares, three years old and upward run over 1 and 1/16^th miles with a purse of $300,000. The first graded stakes for two year olds will be run on Saturday, August 8^th, a race for two year olds, the Best Pal Stakes run over six and a half furlongs with a purse of $200,000. The Sorrento Stakes, a Grade II for filly two year olds will be run on Wednesday August 12^th, run over six and a half furlongs with a purse of $200,000. On August 15^th, the Grade I Del Mar Oaks for filly three year olds will be run over the turf at 1 and 1/8^th miles distance with purse of $300,000.

               The following weekend will be the highlight of the meeting. On August 22^nd, Del Mar will host three graded races. The Grade II Pat O’Brien Stakes for three year olds and upward run over seven furlongs with a purse of $250,000. The Grade II Del Mar Handicap, a race for three year olds and upward will be run over the turf at 1 and 3/8ths miles with a purse of $250,000, expect to see some of the top turf horses landing in this spot. The biggest race of the meeting, the Grade I Pacific Classic, a race for three year olds and upward, run over 1 and ¼ miles with a purse of $1 million dollars. Now that the race will be run over conventional dirt expect to see a good mix of horses from all over the country.

               After that weekend there is still plenty of action left especially on the racetrack. There are two more Grade I races left, the Del Mar Debutante, a race for filly two year olds run over seven furlongs with a purse of $300,000. On closing day, the Del Mar Futurity will be run, a race for two year olds, run over seven furlongs with a purse of $300,000. This race saw Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah break his maiden in a stakes in impressive fashion. Is it possible we can see another classic winner come out of this race in 2015?

               For more information about the Del Mar meeting visit their website at www.dmtc.com. Go to www.americanturf.com or call 1-800-645-2240 and order the Del Mar/Saratoga Special issue, the 2015 August issue of American Turf for all you need to win at the Del Mar/Saratoga meetings.