Del Mar opens the doors on its 71st meet

Perhaps the most intriguing entrant is the undefeated TWIRLING CANDY (Candy

Ride [Arg]) from the John Sadler barn. Scratched from this past Saturday's Swaps

S. (G2) to avoid stablemate Sidney's Candy (Candy Ride [Arg]), the Craig Family

Trust homebred will make his turf, two-turn and stakes debut in the Oceanside.

Joel Rosario, who guided the dark bay to his maiden score last November, will

reunite with him here. Twirling Candy comes off a scintillating, 7 3/4-length

allowance/optional claiming victory in his belated sophomore debut at Hollywood.

Sadler's other hopeful, multiple Grade 3-placed DOMONATION (Maria's Mon),

will also be testing turf for the first time. Unlike Twirling Candy, Domonation

has a turf work under his belt, blowing out a half-mile in :47 3/5 at Hollywood

on Sunday. Rafael Bejarano has been named to ride.

Other contenders include GALLANT GENT (Yankee Gentleman), who figures to move

forward off his comeback sixth in the Affirmed H. (G3), and recent

allowance/optional claiming winners FACE AND AN ACE (Came Home), HOCKLEY (A.P.

Indy) and JUST MAGIC (Five Star Day).

Approximately $22 million in purses will be offered during the meet,

including $7.1 million in stakes money. The stakes schedule features eight Grade 1 events,

highlighted by the track's signature race, the $1 million Pacific Classic (G1)

on August 28.

Another major event that could take place this season will be an attempt at a third straight

victory in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch S. (G1) by super racemare ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire]), currently a career perfect 17-for-17 and the only female to win

the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). That victory came last November at Santa Anita

and her most recent tally came in Hollywood Park's Vanity H. (G1) on June 13,

pushing her past the standard of 16 consecutive wins set by Citation, Mister

Frisky and Cigar. The last-named runner had his streak ended in 1996 when he

lost to Dare and Go in Del Mar's Pacific Classic. The Hirsch, at 1 1/16 miles,

is set for August 7.

If the six-year-old wins her third Hirsch, she'll join Native Diver,

Flawlessly and Track Gal as the only horses to win the same Del Mar stakes race

three straight years. Native Diver won the San Diego H. (1963-65), Flawlessly was perfect in the Ramona

H. (G1) (now the John C. Mabee

S.) (1992-94) and Track Gal captured the Rancho Bernardo H. (G3) (1995-97).

The premier race of the Del Mar season is the Pacific

Classic at 1 1/4 miles on the Polytrack. That event is likely to draw defending

champion RICHARD'S KID (Lemon Drop Kid) and the veteran AWESOME GEM (Awesome

Again), who could be making his

fourth start in the race following a second in the 2007 edition and

seventh-placings in the past two years. The pair most recently faced off in

the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), with Awesome Gem scoring by a half-length and

Richard's Kid following home in third.

A sidelight to this year's Pacific Classic is the fact that the inaugural

winner, Best Pal in 1991, will be inducted into racing's Hall of Fame on August 13

in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Golden Eagle Farm homebred had a career record of

18 victories, 11 seconds and four thirds in 47 starts and career earnings of

$5,668,245, still good enough to be second all-time among all California-breds

behind dual Breeders' Cup Classic champion Tiznow's $6.4 million.

Other Grade 1 highlights of the Del Mar season include the July 24 Eddie Read

S. for turf runners going nine furlongs; the August 1 Bing Crosby S. over six

furlongs; the August 21 Del Mar Oaks for three-year-old fillies at nine furlongs

on turf; the August 28 Pat O'Brien S. for older horses going seven furlongs; and

the September 4 Del Mar Debutante for two-year-old fillies at seven furlongs.

The Del Mar Futurity (G1), the traditional closing-day feature in years past,

will return to the final day of the meet on September 8 after being run on Labor

Day in 2009.

Del Mar will race five days a week -- Wednesdays through Sundays, with

Mondays and Tuesdays dark days, with the exception of Labor Day. This reflects

the same schedule that was put in place last year.

With the exception of one new bet, Del Mar's 2010 wagering options will

mirror those of past seasons. The new bet is one that has proven highly popular

at other racing venues and is expected to find a happy home among Del Mar's

faithful. It is a 50-cent Pick

Four, which will be offered on the final four races daily on the Wednesday

through Sunday cards.

Del Mar's Online Handicapping Challenge is back, enabling fans to compare

their handicapping skills with horseplayers throughout North America. The winner

(subject to eligibility requirements) gets to represent Del Mar in the

prestigious and lucrative DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship in Las

Vegas January 28-29, 2011. The tournament boasts an estimated $1 million total

purse.

Play up to $100 in contest dollars each day to win, place and/or show on each

day's contest race. There will be prizes for the top 10 finishers in each week's

contest and for the top 100 overall finishers for the season. For the complete

contest rules,

click

here.

This year's online contest is part of the NHC Tour, and NHC Tour Points will

be awarded for doing well in the contest. It is the NHC Tour Member's

responsibility to notify tournament officials that he or she is a Member of the

tour when entering/playing in the Del Mar Handicapping Challenge. Officials must

be notified before the start of the Challenge. To do this, you must enter your

NHC Tour Pin # when completing the contest registration form. For more

information about the NHC Tour or to join, visit the horseplayers' page at

ntra.com.

Del Mar will also bring back its popular "Daybreak at Del Mar," a racetrack

tradition entering its 11th season. From 7:30 to 9:30 (PDT) every Saturday and

Sunday -- starting on opening weekend

and running through September 5 -- racing fans, breakfast fans, or

anyone up for a unique Del Mar experience can be part of the fun held at the

trackside Clubhouse Terrace Restaurant during morning workout hours. While the

Thoroughbreds strut their stuff on the big seaside oval, diners can enjoy a

hearty buffet for the bargain price of $9.95.

Along for the morning experience is ex-rider Jeff Bloom, who alerts

breakfasters to notable horses on the track, offers tips on how to enjoy a day

at the races, and answers questions pertaining to the sport.

In addition to enjoying quality racing at the seaside oval, Del Mar fans will be treated to

a diverse entertainment schedule.

Two of the most popular bands on the music

scene will appear in a pair of Saturday concerts during the 2010 racing season. Bringing its unique style to the seashore will be the super-popular four-man

band Weezer, along with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's ZZ Top, a trio that has

run full bore for more than 40 years and still is at the top of its game. Weezer will headline a special concert August 21 on the

track's infield stage shortly after the day's final race. ZZ Top will follow the same show format in its sure-to-be-rocking production

on September 4.

Additionally, the track will feature a Saturday reggae festival on

August 14, an event that annually has proven extremely popular with its San

Diego audience.  Veteran reggae star Jimmy Cliff will share the stage with

the young reggae sensation Matisyahu.

Del Mar's Friday night concert series, keyed around its popular "Four O'Clock

Fridays" programs, will also feature The B-52s and The Soft Pack. They will be part of a seven-Friday

schedule during the racing season, with the downbeat set for about half-an-hour

after the day's final race. This year the Friday concert series will take place in a new location -- the

Seaside Terrace, located at the west end of the Grandstand, near the head of the

track's stretch run. For many years the series was presented in the track's

Plaza de Mexico inside the main gate. The concerts are free with racetrack

admission if purchased prior to the day's final race.