Del Mar's 11th Bing Crosby Season begins 10/31 and will include 20 stakes races

Del Mar will host its 11th Bing Crosby Season from Thursday, October 31 to Sunday, December 1, coinciding with the latest chapter of the Breeders’ Cup championship event.

This year marks the 41st Breeders’ Cup, the third to be hosted at Del Mar racetrack. The event is scheduled for November 1 and 2 and will feature an additional six stakes, alongside the existing 14, bringing the total gross value of the local stakes program to $3,150,000. Notably, this includes two Grade I races - the $300,000 Hollywood Derby on November 30 and the $300,000 Matriarch Stakes on December 1.

The six stakes associated with the Breeders’ Cup will be spread across the two racing days, with four taking place on November 1 and the remaining two on the following day. The Friday races are all for 2-year-olds, including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance for juveniles at a mile on the turf, the Golden State Juvenile Fillies for California-breds at seven furlongs, the Ken Maddy Stakes for fillies and mares aged 2 and up at five panels on the turf, and the Golden State Juvenile for California-breds at seven furlongs.

On Saturday, there will be two Grade III stakes, the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes at a mile on the main track, and the $300,000 Goldikova Stakes at a mile on the turf for fillies and mares aged 3 and up.

A total of 12 of the 20 events will be held on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course, with eight of them taking place in the final two weeks of the stand as part of the track’s renowned Turf Festival, known for attracting top horses from across the country.

“The combination of our usual fall attractions and the return of the Breeders’ Cup this year will make for a very special Bing Crosby Season this time around,” said Del Mar vice president and racing secretary David Jerkens. “We believe we offer the best racing in America during the fall and our additional week this time around just adds more sparkle to a season already filled with luster.”

Previously, Del Mar had run four weeks during its Crosby Season, but this year that will stretch out to five. After the opening weekend – which will have Del Mar cards on Thursday (10/31) and Sunday (11/3) around the two Breeders’ Cup dates, the track will have four straight weekend with Friday, Saturday and Sunday programs. There will be no racing on Thanksgiving Thursday (11/28) this year. First post for all Del Mar cards will be 12:30 p.m. First posts for the two Breeders’ Cup days are 11:35 a.m. for November 1 and 10:05 a.m. for November 2.

Harkening back to its show business founder Crosby, the meet will feature a Hollywood theme for most of its stakes, among them the Betty Grable, the Desi Arnaz, the Cary Grant, the Bob Hope, the Jimmy Durante and the Cecil B. DeMille, all of whom were part of the glamorous early days at shore oval.

Closing weekend will feature stakes triple headers on the lawn on Saturday (11/30) consisting of the $200,000, Grade II Seabiscuit Handicap, the $100,000, Grade III Jimmy Durante Stakes and the rich Hollywood Derby. Then on Sunday (12/1) the trio of grass stakes will be made up of the $100,000 Stormy Liberal Stakes, the $100,000, Grade III Cecil B. DeMille Stakes and then the prestigious Matriarch for fillies and mares.

The complete list of stakes follows:

DATE RACE / CONDITIONS PURSE / DISTANCE 

* Indicates Overnight Stakes