With an eye toward Thoroughbred racing's Breeder's Cup, a roughly $5 million expansion of the turf course at the Del Mar racetrack kicked off on Friday, Sept 13. This expansion puts the seaside venue on course to potentially host the Breeder's Cup Championship, recognized as racing's most prestigious event.
Del Mar Racetrack goal: Attracting horse racing's most prestigious event
With an eye toward Thoroughbred racing's prestigious Breeder's Cup, a roughly $5 million expansion of the turf course at the Del Mar racetrack kicked off on Friday, Sept 13.
© 2013 by Andrew Chen
The new turf course will widen the turf portion to 80 feet to accommodate more horses and will also soften the turns, making it a safer course for horses and jockeys. Ten acres of Bermuda grass is now being grown in Coachella Valley for installation in January, making the track ready for races by July 16, 2013, the beginning of the 2014 racing season.
Heavy equipment began moving at the racetrack as soon as the racing season ended on September 4, according to a news release by Del Mar turf superintendent Leif Dickinson, and the work is being done by Koch-Armstrong of El Cajon, the same company that installed the synthetic track at Del Mar in 2007.