Del Mar’s Bing Crosby Season – Featuring The Breeders’ Cup – Kicks Off This Thursday

The 12th running of the Bing Crosby Season breaks from the gate this Thursday, October 30 and will run through Sunday, November 30. Named for the track’s iconic founder, the 16-day racing program will feature 20 stakes worth more than $3 million in purses.

Opening Weekend’s agenda includes Del Mar’s fourth hosting of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships as the two-day event featuring more than $34 million in purses across 14 Grade 1 stakes, returns to the seaside oval on Friday, October 31 and Saturday, November 1. Five championship races will be conducted Friday with nine more – including America’s richest race, the $7-million Breeders’ Cup Classic – on tap for Saturday’s card. The World Championships are returning to “Where the Turf Meets the Surf” for the second consecutive year, as Del Mar once again hosts the world’s top horses, owners, trainers, and jockeys. The 2024 edition set a new global wagering record of $203.7 million.

Six of Del Mar’s 20 stakes races will be held during Opening Weekend – one on Thursday, four on Breeders’ Cup Friday and one on Breeders’ Cup Saturday – with the remainder of the stakes schedule falling throughout the final four weeks of the meet. The season will conclude with the return of the FanDuel Racing Turf Festival, featuring seven turf stakes, six graded, worth $1.3 million in purses, held over Closing Weekend on November 28 through November 30.

“Having the Breeders’ Cup return to Del Mar is an honor we don’t take lightly,” said David Jerkens, Senior Vice President of Racing. “Kicking off our fall season with the World Championships is a tremendous way to begin, and we look forward to carrying that momentum through the FanDuel Racing Turf Festival on Closing Weekend.”