The betting figures are out for Del Mar’s recently-concluded summer meet and, from our perspective, they’re excellent. According to the Daily Racing Form, all-sources handle was down 10.9% over last year. While the track was quick to blame the cancellation of one raceday (hurricane), fact is average daily handle was also down: 7.9%. This, coupled with sharp declines at America’s other elite summer track, Saratoga, bodes well.
As it was with NYRA, Del Mar is in full spin mode: “[O]nce again [we] presented full fields with competitive and safe racing that continues to provide value for racing fans.” And: “Leading the progress on equine welfare…Del Mar continues to rank among the safest tracks in the country.” To which I reply: Seven – seven – beautiful, intelligent, sensitive beings were sacrificed (for, I remind, $2 bets) at Del Mar this summer:
Nevisian Sunrise, killed Jul 27
Ghostem, killed Jul 29
Episode Five, killed Jul 29
Mikethedealer, killed Aug 4
Vagabond Prayer, killed Aug 19
Pastor T, killed Aug 26
Peace of Mind, killed Sep 5
If that qualifies as “among the safest tracks in the country” – vile.
What pisses me off is George Soros is supposedly FOR animal rights, yet, he’s that SF racing who uses bob baffert as their trainer 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮 I mean really “F” these assholes.
Blowhard, heavily-invested Finley said in a recent article, “Del Mar is close to a near perfect meet”. A whopping seven dead (admittedly) yet he continues the fabrication while spending millions on yearlings, many of whom, even if they step foot on a racetrack, will likely be one-and-done and/or join Butcher Bob’s MIA band.
Always sweeping the life-ending injuries to horses and killings of these injured horses under the rug and treating the fans like mushrooms — keeping them in the dark (about racehorses being brutalized to death) and feeding them b***s*** — is the modus operandi of racetracks and Del Mar is no different.
Not everyone is a big fan of horses being whipped and doped though, so there is hope that more people get wise to the horrendous abuse to young and underdeveloped colts and fillies.