Twenty Stakes Again on Deck at Del Mar This Fall

Twenty stakes races worth $3.15 million will highlight the 12th Bing Crosby Season at Del Mar beginning on Thursday, October 30 and running through to Sunday, November 30.

All told, there will be 16 days of racing during the 12th Bing Crosby gathering, including two days of Breeders' Cup sport on Friday, October 31 and Saturday, November 1.

Once again a highlight of the session will be the track's highly popular FanDuel Racing Turf Festival consisting of seven grass stakes starting on November 28 and running through to closing day. All seven of the stakes are Graded and held on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course, noted as one of the finest in the country.

A pair of Grade I black type offerings are the two jewels of the stand—the $300,000 Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds at a mile and one eight and the $300,000 Matriarch Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile. Both are presented on the grass with the former run Saturday, November 29, while the latter goes Sunday, November 30.

All told there will be 11 Graded races presented as well as 12 held on the turf course. There also will be four Cal-bred stakes on the agenda.

The meet will open with its traditional kickoff race, the Let It Ride Stakes for 3-year-olds. The race carries a $100,000 purse and is run at a mile on the turf.

Two of the top tests during the meet will be run during the FanDuel Racing Turf Festival—the Grade II, $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one half November 28 and the Grade II, $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one-sixteenth on November 29.

Also of note is the Grade III, $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes at a mile for fillies and mares aged 3 and up slated for closing day, November 30.

Racing throughout the Bing Crosby Season will have a first post daily of 12:30 p.m.  The two Breeders' Cup days will go at 11:35 a.m. (Friday) and 10.05 a.m. (Saturday).

The full stakes schedule can be found online.