Del Mar Thoroughbred Club

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will officially partner over multiple seasons with Keeneland Sales beginning with their summer meet on July 21, the track said in a release Friday afternoon. As part of the orchestration around the partnership, Keeneland Sales will become the presenting sponsor for the GIII Sorrento S. on Saturday, Aug. 12. "We're delighted to be partners once again with the folks at Keeneland," said Tom Robbins, Del Mar's executive vice president of racing. "The name Keeneland resounds throughout our industry and Del Mar and Keeneland are a perfect...

Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC) have reached an agreement in a lawsuit stemming from events during the summer of 2019 when the track temporarily barred the trainer from its grounds, according to a notice of settlement recently filed in the San Diego Superior Court. The notice included no specifics. "The terms of the settlement are to remain confidential," explained Hollendorfer's attorney, Drew Couto. DMTC president, Josh Rubinstein, confirmed the settlement in an emailed statement. "The resolution of this litigation does not reflect the...

The California Horse Power Coalition (CHPC), a growing partnership of Thoroughbred associations, will commit to fund the California breakout report as part of the American Horse Council's California Economic Impact Study, the organization said in a release Thursday. "The American Horse Council consistently produces the most comprehensive national economic impact studies that showcase the vast benefits that the equine industry brings to communities across the country," said Josh Rubinstein, President of Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, an American Horse Council member. "As our industry continues to evolve, we are confident that...

Del Mar will once again offer a bonus package for maidens competing at the highest levels on dirt throughout its upcoming 84th summer season, the track said in a release on Wednesday. The move adds 25% in purse earnings to runners who fit the simple specifications of the program, is available to all dirt competitors in maiden allowance races, all California-bred maiden allowance races or any maiden-claiming race at the $62,500 level or above. The maiden must come from the barn of a trainer who has no more than 60...

Ryan Noffsinger has been named track superintendent at Prairie Meadows. A third-generation horseman, Noffsinger has worked at tracks from California, Arizona, New Mexico and, most recently, in Florida. "In my 18 years working in various roles with track maintenance, I've been able to gain valuable knowledge at tracks like Del Mar, Turf Paradise, Zia Park, Sunland Park, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows which will serve me well as Track Superintendent for Prairie Meadows," Noffsinger said. Prairie Meadows Vice President for Racing Derron Heldt added, "Ryan brings so much to...

Mary Shepardson, who spent more than 25 years at the Director of Publications at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, died last week at age 77 of natural causes. A native of California, Shepardson retired from Del Mar several years ago to pursue her other passion as a member of the city of Poway's Historical and Memorial Society. She was the organization's president at the time of her passing and also served as the city's mayor in the early 1980s. "She was Marketing & Media's do everything and do-it-all for several...

Bo Derek, an actress, model, and humanitarian, has joined the MyRacehorse owner community as its first-ever celebrity ambassador. Derek sits on the Executive Board for the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, is an Ambassador for the Breeders' Cup World Championships and is now an owner on I'm a Looker '20, a 2-year-old colt by Pioneerof the Nile, who will be trained by Richard Mandella; with whom she has an over 20 year friendship. "I am so excited to be a horse owner with MyRacehorse," Derek said of her new venture. "I've...

Del Mar's summer meet kicked off with racing Friday through Sunday, and the oceanside oval broke an opening day handle record with $23.56 million wagered and set an average daily handle record for opening weekend of $22.35 million. "We hoped for this kind of beginning, but it turned out even better than we thought," said Del Mar Thoroughbred Club president Josh Rubinstein. "We've gotten terrific support from our horsemen and horsewomen, from racing fans across the country and, of course, from the horses themselves, the amazing athletes who run here....

Del Mar will offer its richest "Ship and Win" bonus when the program, designed to encourage out-of-state horses to compete in California, returns for its 12th year at the oceanside oval's summer meeting. This year's program offers a $5,000 starter bonus and a 50% purse supplement for any dirt runner. Turf horses earn a $4,000 starter fee and a 40% purse bonus. The purse bonuses extend to additional starts at the summer meet and are designed to increase all purses won by first through fifth finishers. Further, should a 'S...

A trial on the long-gestating legal battle between trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and The Stronach Group (TSG), along with its subsidiary owners of Santa Anita Park, is scheduled for Apr. 4 in the County of Los Angeles Superior Court of California. The bifurcated non-jury trial, however, is focused on a single declaratory relief cause of action against TSG, encompassing the proper legal interpretation of the race-meet contract between the California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT) and Santa Anita, and excludes some of Hollendorfer's broader causes of action. That second part of this bifurcated...

California's Del Mar Thoroughbred Club is set to deliver purses above $25 million for its 31-day summer meet, with the daily average purse payout of more than $800,000 the highest in the history of California racing. Overnight purses and the value of 21 of the seaside oval's stakes will be raised by a blended rate of 15%. Among the most prominent races to see increases are the GI Bing Crosby S. and the GI Clement L. Hirsch S., both of which will climb from $300,000 to $400,000. Gross purses for...

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance's Off to the Races online auction, which closed Feb. 10, raised $35,125. From Jan. 28 to Feb. 10 the public had the opportunity to bid on experience packages on 12 major race days in 2022 and 2023. Each experience package offered a unique itinerary of horse racing-related bucket list activities and tickets to the specified race day(s). In total, 23 donors contributed to the 12 experience packages offered in the TAA's Off to the Races auction: 1/ST, America's Best Racing, Anne's Washington Inn, Breeders' Cup Ltd.,...