This time, wagering at Del Mar tops $500 million

Del Mar wrapped up its 85th summer racing season on Sunday, celebrating another successful meet with strong field sizes, average daily handle, and the highest daily purses in California. The track averaged 8.6 starters per race and distributed $831,000 per day in total purses. Overall wagering for the season reached $502,985,000, a slight dip from last year due to new restrictions on computer-assisted wagering in 2024. The average daily handle stood at $16,225,000.

Track officials noted that the handle results aligned with expectations, following new wagering protocols aimed at reducing late odds fluctuations and modifying the Pick 6 bet, which eliminated the single-ticket jackpot.

On Pacific Classic day, more than $28.55 million was wagered, including $5.43 million from Hong Kong, marking the first time Hong Kong has bet on a North American race outside the Breeders' Cup and Kentucky Derby.

"We want to thank the horsemen and women for their partnership in helping us deliver another outstanding summer meet," said Del Mar CEO Joe Harper. "We’re excited to welcome back the Breeders’ Cup in November and look forward to hosting racing fans and participants from around the world here in Del Mar and the San Diego area."

Juan Hernandez claimed the jockey title for the third consecutive summer, with 47 wins over the 31-day meet. Bob Baffert earned his ninth training crown, saddling 23 winners, while Hronis Racing secured its sixth leading owner title with 12 victories and $717,296 in earnings. Little Red Feather Racing, a standout in co-partnerships, led the way with four graded-stakes wins and nearly $1 million in earnings.

Del Mar's innovative "Ship and Win" program continued to attract horses to the southern California circuit, bringing 1,158 starters to the track over the last five years, with many going on to compete at other California tracks.

Del Mar will return for its fall meet from Oct. 31 to Dec. 1, featuring the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Nov. 1 and 2.