Del Mar to host Breeders’ Cup races for third time in 2024

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) — The Breeders’ Cup has selected Del Mar to host the 41st world championships next year, marking the third time the picturesque Pacific track will stage the season-ending graded stakes races that feature the top thoroughbreds.

Del Mar will present 14 Grade 1 races with purses worth more than $31 million on Nov. 1-2, 2024.

The track last hosted in 2021 at 50% capacity because of coronavirus pandemic restrictions but still set a then-record all-sources handle of more than $183 million. The 2017 Breeders’ Cup there established a then-record $25,181,317 on-track wagering handle and generated a $96 million economic impact.

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club president Josh Rubenstein called it a “milestone event” for San Diego and looked forward to building on the success of previous events.

“The prestige of the event combined with our venue’s iconic, seaside setting makes for an extraordinary weekend,” Rubinstein added in a release on Thursday.

This year’s Breeders’ Cup will be held at Santa Anita on Nov. 3-4.

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