As a major horse racing track out on the West Coast, Del Mar Fairgrounds is a 370-acre event venue in Southern California near San Diego. The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC) holds the Summer Meet from the end of July through mid-September. The Fall/Winter Meet (referred to as the Bing Meet) is from mid-November through early December.
The graded stakes races at Del Mar’s card in both of these time frames highlight the Grade 1 events such as the Bing Crosby Stakes in the end of July and the Hollywood Derby in early December. Bing Crosby is one of the founding members of Del Mar and the Hollywood Derby complements the Matriarch Stakes and they run at the end of the year.
All the Grade 1 events at Del Mar are listed below as one of the most popular horse tracks in the US from coast to coast.
Grade 1 Horse Racing at Del Mar
Summer Meet
Bing Crosby Stakes
Clement L. Hirsch Stakes
Del Mar Oaks
FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic
FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante
Runhappy Del Mar Futurity
Fall/Winter Meet
Hollywood Derby
Matriarch Stakes
The Bing Crosby Stakes is the first Grade 1 event of the Summer Meet at Del Mar. The stakes race is held at the end of July and it has a prize purse of $400,000 guaranteed. The Bing Crosby Stakes is open to thoroughbred horses aged three and older. The horse track is six furlongs on dirt. Along with the Bing Crosby Stakes on Saturday are the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap with a $300,000 prize purse and the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes with a prize purse of $250,000. Both races are also for thoroughbred horses three and older.
Another stakes race that is a Grade 1 event is the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes The race is worth $400,000 and open to fillies and mares three and older. Run in early August, it covers 1 1/16 miles on dirt. A Grade 1 stakes race for three-year-old fillies is the Del Mar Oaks. Midway in the month of August, the prize purse is $300,000 guaranteed and the race is 1 1/8 on turf.
A Grade 1 race sponsored by FanDuel is the Pacific Classic. This stakes race is open to thoroughbred horses three and older. As a qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Classic in early November, this graded event has a prize purse of $1 million. The track is 1¼ miles on dirt.
The FanDuel Del Mar Debutante has a prize purse of $300,000 and the race is open to two- year-old fillies. It covers seven furlongs at the Del Mar dirt track. The Runhappy Del Mar Futurity is open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. The seven-furlong sprint on dirt also has a $300,000 prize purse guaranteed.
The only two Grade 1 races of the Fall/Winter Meet are the Hollywood Derby and Matriarch Stakes. Run in early December, they each have a $400,000 prize purse. The Hollywood Derby is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts (and fillies) and the race covers 1 1/8 miles on turf. The Matriarch Stakes is open to fillies and mares three and older. The one-mile race is also contested on turf.
Read our Churchill Downs betting guide next.
