The Oak Tree Racing Association and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will partner this summer for a special day Aug. 3 to honor the late Clement L. Hirsch, who will be inducted this year into racing's Hall of Fame in the Pillars of the Turf category, the racetrack said in a release on Thursday.
Hirsch's induction ceremony, with members of his family in attendance, will take place in Saratoga Springs, New York on Friday, Aug. 2. The following day, Del Mar will present Oak Tree Day at the Races featuring the GI Clement L. Hirsch S.–a race the Oak Tree group is supporting with $100,000 in purse money–as well as five special races that each will provide an additional $9,500 in purse monies to be split between owners and trainers. Further, the group will provide $500 payments to the grooms of horses deemed “the best turned out” in all of the races that day.
“We are delighted to team once more with the good people of the Oak Tree Racing Association,” said DMTC's president and chief operating officer Josh Rubinstein. “Oak Tree was founded with the premise of horsemen helping horsemen and this is just the latest of many examples of that actualization over the years.”
Oak Tree was launched with Hirsch at the helm in 1968 and he was also a founding member of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in 1968.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
