Del Mar will open its 2024 summer meeting—the 85th at the iconic seaside oval—on Saturday, July 20.
The start to the season was keyed by the fact that the San Diego Country Fair will conduct its popular gathering a bit past its usual finale on July 4, pushed instead to Sunday, July 7.
Del Mar will need the extra time from July 8 onward to prepare its racing surfaces and stable area for the start of the meet and to ensure its safety protocols are all in place. The track has typically opened for its summer season on a Friday.
The summer meet will provide eight weeks of racing and conclude on Sunday, Sept. 8.
Del Mar also has finalized its fall racing dates, which will be highlighted by the 41st edition of the Breeders' Cup, the third time the championship event has come to the shore.
Opening day of the 11th Bing Crosby Season will be on Thursday, Oct. 31. Then that Friday and Saturday—Nov. 1-2—will showcase the 14 Breeders' Cup races with $31 million in purses and awards.
In total, the fall meet will operate for five weeks and conclude Sunday, Dec. 1.
Del Mar's allocation of the 2024 Southern California racing calendar was approved this past August by the California Horse Racing Board.
Del Mar, located on the edge of the Pacific Ocean north of San Diego—"Where the turf meets the surf"—will host the Breeders' Cup for the fourth time in 2025.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
