DEL MAR NOTES: Meet ends with numbers down
By JEFF NAHILL - Staff Writer | ∞
DEL MAR ---- The horses had barely left the race track before trucks and cranes made their way onto Del Mar's Polytrack to start dismantling the toteboard and move on to the next stop.
Del Mar's 43-day 2008 race meeting was over.
The numbers were down from last year, but the drop was expected, according to track president Joe Harper.
"Although off slightly in some categories and more in others, (the numbers) were pretty much understandable with the economy," Harper said. "(New York's) Saratoga was off, and other tracks are feeling it as well. Fortunately, the folks came. The revenues, I was pleasantly surprised with."
Del Mar's on-track attendance declined 4.3 percent, and on-track wagering decreased 11.1 percent. Overall handle was down 7 percent.
Harper said it was one of the smoothest meets he has been associated with.
"Other than a jockey being arrested in the paddock and a couple of assistant trainers duking it out in the winner's circle and steroid banter and reggae concerts," Harper said. "What the heck."
Harper was pleased with the performance of the synthetic Polytrack, which was faster than last year. Eight horses died on the surface ---- five during the races and three during training hours.
"The track played very well," Harper said. "Much fairer. We learned a lot about when to water and how much to water. Once we figured out how much water to put on, we got a pretty good handle on it."
Next year's calendar will be later, with a likely starting date of July 22 and ending date one week after Labor Day. With Hollywood Park's future up in the air after next year's spring/summer meet, Harper said, tracks have discussed a new calendar.
The turnaround this year between the San Diego County Fair and horse racing was 10 days. Harper thinks it could be as short as five days.
"That's something we'll be sitting down with the fair to see if it's a possibility," he said. "We obviously like that because any time you can add days at the beginning of the meet and not after Labor Day (is better). We'd like to go to a five-day (race) week.
"I really don't want to make this summer meet stretched out. Right now, these 43 days are a nice comfortable meet."
Harper, though, acknowledged that more fall dates are possible if Hollywood Park closes permanently.
In his first season riding at the seaside oval, Rafael Bejarano won the jockey title with 45 victories, and John Sadler took the training title with 31 victories.
Pacific Classic winner Go Between was named horse of the meet.
Around the track
-- Jeffrey Bloom, vice president of West Coast operations for West Point Thoroughbreds, said Awesome Gem will make his next start on Sept. 27 in the $200,000 All-American Handicap at Golden Gate Fields at 1 1/8 mile.
-- Jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. was off all his mounts Wednesday, including Believe in Hope in the featured Del Mar Futurity, due to a broken toe. Valdivia suffered the injury on Monday when his mount unseated him and stepped on his foot before the third race.
-- Track stewards fined the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club $1,000 for a program error involving a first-time gelding in the eighth race on Aug. 9.
-- Synnin and Grinnin ($6.40) won Wednesday's first race, a division of the Daisycutter Handicap. The 4-year-old filly is owned by Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny. Synnin and Grinnin is trained by Howard Zucker, who also took the second division of the Daisycutter with Queen Ofthe Catsle ($4.20).
-- Stewards fined trainer Jeff Mullins $300 after Pathbreaking had to be scratched from the eighth race.
-- Icanmakeitrain was a late scratch at the gate in the fifth race. Stewards reported that the Peter Miller-trained gelding was "unsound" to race.
-- Jockey Martin Pedroza won the final race of the meet aboard Inspired Storm ($24.40). It was career win No. 2,999. He will likely win No. 3,000 on Friday when racing moves to Fairplex Park in Pomona.
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