Owners May Attend Races at Del Mar

Starting Friday July 31, licensed owners with a horse entered may attend the races at Del Mar. Space is limited to two licensed owners per horse. No guests are permitted.

Up until now, licensed owners have only been allowed on track in the morning to watch workouts. The first come, first serve seating in the afternoons will be located in the same area in the clubhouse box seating. Owners will be required to email Mary Forney, Executive Director of TOC (mforney@toconline.com) to secure access, and reservations can be made up until 24 hours before race day. If a horse has more than two owners wishing to attend the races, TOC will do its best to accommodate if space is available.

Owners must show their license when entering the Del Mar Race Track and park in the designated area just outside the clubhouse. Owners will enter through the same area they have been using in the morning, adjacent to the clubhouse entrance. Owners will be required to be on the owner reservation list, provide their CHRB owners license, and undergo a full Covid-19 health screening including a temperature check. Masks will be required to be worn at all times, and owners must respect social distancing guidelines.

Owners will be required to remain in the clubhouse seating area the entire time and may not enter the paddock or the winners circle. Owners are still not permitted to access the backstretch. Any violation of this strict policy will result in a forfeiture of racetrack privileges.

“We appreciate that owners have been practicing social distancing, wearing masks, and creating a safe environment for all horsemen in the morning,” said TOC Chairman Nick Alexander. “Because that has been successful, we are now able to watch our horses in the afternoon. We recognize owners have been attending races in Northern California, Kentucky, and New York, and for some it has been frustrating having limited access to watch our thoroughbreds race in Southern California. Please continue to respect the new rules and guidelines so we can hopefully safely allow more members to attend the races.”