Del Mar still missing from the 2013 venue prospects for the Breeders’ Cup
Getting the honour to host the Breeders’ Cup is no small deal no matter how prestigious the race course or the venue itself is.
The 2012 Breeders’ Cup will be hosted by, Santa Anita Park, and it will be a sixth time that the event will be hosted on the same course, it has been held before in 2008 and 2009. The other two prospects on the list were Churchill Downs and Belmont
Park.
“We are thrilled to bring back the Breeders’ Cup to Southern California, which is always a strong draw for horse racing fans from around the world and where the Breeders’ Cup has always been embraced by the community,” president and chief executive
official of the Breeders’ Cup, Craig Fravel said in a commented. “Santa Anita Park is a world-class racing venue that will once again provide a spectacular setting for two days of the best in international racing”.
The championship has experienced a phenomenal growth in terms of revenue generated, as over the last five years, the number of races has gone up by seven, making it a total of fifteen, and consequently the prize money has gone up from $14 million to
$26 million while the total sum of wagering has gone up by $33,006,933.
In 2010 and 2011, the Breeders’ Cup was hosted at Churchill Downs, making 2011 the eighth time that the venue hosted the event. However for the year 2013, there are two prospects that are more than eager to get selected for staging the grand event,
the Belmont Park and Del Mar.
However, it is not the first time that Del Mar has displayed such keen interest in hosting the event rather it has been on Del Mar’s agenda since nearly the past decade.
The reason for the venue not being the ideal for hosting the Breeders’ Cup is because of the width of its turf course which can only accommodate ten starters, while Breeders’ Cup turf races easily bring up a lineup of fourteen horses.
The renovation plans for extending the turf courses are being seriously considered by Del Mar Fairgrounds, the agency that owns the property.
No final announcements for the selection of the 2013 venue have been made as yet, and Del Mar has not spurted on the list that includes Churchill Downs and Belmont Park for being the next year’s prospects.
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