Del Mar Opens Thursday!
Jul 13, 2015 21:38:28 GMT -5
Post by Evelyn on Jul 13, 2015 21:38:28 GMT -5
Del Mar opens Thursday with new dirt, traditional Oceanside
Brisnet
Del Mar's 76th summer season, which begins Thursday, will be its first on dirt in nine years.
The traditional feature on opening day, the $100,000 Oceanside for three-year-olds on turf, pits Papacoolpapacool and Soul Driver.
The 40-day stand runs through Labor Day, September 7, with the $1 million Pacific Classic (G1) August 22 highlighting the nearly $8 million stakes schedule.
The Surface
DM Stable Notes
By Hank Wesch
THE DIRT ON SUMMER 2015 SEASON: IT’S BACK …
After eight years on a state-mandated synthetic surface, in this case the Polytrack brand, Del Mar returns to dirt for the 76th summer racing season which starts Thursday.
Not plain, old dirt. “El Segundo sand,” a soil found in the area around Los Angeles International Airport which Santa Anita also extricated for its racing surface two years ago.
“Having a uniform racing surface on the Southern California circuit is very important,” said Del Mar Thoroughbred Club President and CEO Joe Harper. “The reason we went back to dirt was the same reason we went to synthetics –safety of the horses and riders.”
The conversion began on December 8, 2014, eight days after the close of the inaugural Bing Crosby fall meeting. Crews began removing the 15,000 tons of Polytrack, a process which took over two weeks. Offered free to those who would haul it away, all 15,000 tons were recycled to 35 different equine facilities.
From January to March of this year the sub-base was removed, recycled and mostly re-used. In the same period irrigation and drainage systems were updated and the main track compacted preparatory to rebuilding. In March and April 30,000 tons of decomposed granite went into the sub-base and 31,000 tons of El Segundo sand was put down for a 10" deep cushion. On May 14 an unnamed 2-year-old to be sold at the Barretts sale two weeks later became the first racehorse to test the track.
The track was sealed on May 29 and turned over to the Fairgrounds for the duration of the Del Mar Fair, returned to the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on July 6. Horses began shipping into the facility on July 8 and training last Friday.
Twenty-five horses worked out on the main track Sunday morning and approximately 80 on Monday morning, clocker John Malone reported.
“The new track is settling in,” veteran trainer Eddie Truman said Monday. “It will take a little time but (track superintendent) Richard Tedesco does such a great job, he’ll get it just right.”
Brisnet
Del Mar's 76th summer season, which begins Thursday, will be its first on dirt in nine years.
The traditional feature on opening day, the $100,000 Oceanside for three-year-olds on turf, pits Papacoolpapacool and Soul Driver.
The 40-day stand runs through Labor Day, September 7, with the $1 million Pacific Classic (G1) August 22 highlighting the nearly $8 million stakes schedule.
The Surface
DM Stable Notes
By Hank Wesch
THE DIRT ON SUMMER 2015 SEASON: IT’S BACK …
After eight years on a state-mandated synthetic surface, in this case the Polytrack brand, Del Mar returns to dirt for the 76th summer racing season which starts Thursday.
Not plain, old dirt. “El Segundo sand,” a soil found in the area around Los Angeles International Airport which Santa Anita also extricated for its racing surface two years ago.
“Having a uniform racing surface on the Southern California circuit is very important,” said Del Mar Thoroughbred Club President and CEO Joe Harper. “The reason we went back to dirt was the same reason we went to synthetics –safety of the horses and riders.”
The conversion began on December 8, 2014, eight days after the close of the inaugural Bing Crosby fall meeting. Crews began removing the 15,000 tons of Polytrack, a process which took over two weeks. Offered free to those who would haul it away, all 15,000 tons were recycled to 35 different equine facilities.
From January to March of this year the sub-base was removed, recycled and mostly re-used. In the same period irrigation and drainage systems were updated and the main track compacted preparatory to rebuilding. In March and April 30,000 tons of decomposed granite went into the sub-base and 31,000 tons of El Segundo sand was put down for a 10" deep cushion. On May 14 an unnamed 2-year-old to be sold at the Barretts sale two weeks later became the first racehorse to test the track.
The track was sealed on May 29 and turned over to the Fairgrounds for the duration of the Del Mar Fair, returned to the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on July 6. Horses began shipping into the facility on July 8 and training last Friday.
Twenty-five horses worked out on the main track Sunday morning and approximately 80 on Monday morning, clocker John Malone reported.
“The new track is settling in,” veteran trainer Eddie Truman said Monday. “It will take a little time but (track superintendent) Richard Tedesco does such a great job, he’ll get it just right.”