Del Mar News
Friday, February 3rd
Online Handicapping Challenge for Santa Anita
For the British, December 26 is "Boxing Day."
For racing fans, it means the opening of the Santa Anita winter meeting -- and of a new Play for Fun Online Handicapping Challenge here
The contest begins on Santa Anita's opening day -- Monday, December 26 -- and winds up on closing day, April 22
Play up to $100 in contest dollars each day to win, place and/or show on each day's contest race. There aren't any fancy prizes or anything, just the chance to test your handicapping skills against a group that includes everything from novices to some of the top handicappers around.
It's always free to play and no money actually changes hands.
You can sign up for the contest using your existing online profile. If you don't have an online profile -- or need to update your existing one -- you go to My Del Mar.
Del Mar Adds $1.37-Million in Purses
A good Del Mar summer meeting got even better for its horsemen this week as the track sent out checks totaling $1,370,000 that represented a retroactive payment of 10% on overnight purses by Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. The sum is a record payment of its kind for the track.
Aided by its highest-ever overnight purses, an increase in field size and a steady betting agenda throughout its 37-day season, the seaside track finished up its summer with more than $430-million pushed through the betting wickets for a daily average of over $11.6-million.
Read the rest of the article here.
Del Mar Finishes Up Right For 2011 Racing Season
"We adapted, we adjusted, we partnered, we promoted and we worked hard. In the end, we managed to do what most everyone in this business hopes to do -- we conducted a helluva good race meeting that was fun for everyone involved." -- Joe Harper, CEO, president and general manager, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
Del Mar's 72nd season of Thoroughbred sport raced to a successful conclusion Wednesday, finishing out a 37-day run that many are seeing as one of the best in its storied history.
The seaside oval that entertainment icon Bing Crosby and his Hollywood pals began on a lark back in 1937 once again put on a sparkling show that properly showcased the best California racing has to offer over a summer filled with good competition, healthy rewards, new faces and the thing that Del Mar does best of all – presenting the game at its best with hopes for even better to come.
The track's final attendance count at the end of its seven-week session tallied up at 660,245, nearly even with 2010's total of 662,521, meaning a daily average of 17,844 in 2011 vs. last year's 17,906. Though the final numbers showed a slight percentage decline of 0.3%, the fact remains that the hearty crowds that click through the turnstiles on a season-long basis are the best in the west by far and right at the very top in the national picture.
Read the rest of the story here.
Today's Card
