Del Mar Racecourse will present an impressive Del Mar stakes schedule during its 13th Bing Crosby Season, featuring 15 stakes races worth $2.1 million in purses across a 13-day meeting. The programme will include nine graded contests, with the FanDuel Racing Turf Festival providing a major highlight during the final four days of the season, from November 26 to 29.
The Bing Crosby Season will begin on Friday, November 6, with an eight-race programme featuring the $100,000 Let It Ride Stakes. The one-mile contest will be open to three-year-olds and will take place on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. Named after the popular Richard Dreyfuss movie, the race was won last year by Tempus Volat, a son of Not This Time who subsequently finished second in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile at Santa Anita.
Saturday, November 7, will feature the $100,000 The Chosen Vron Stakes for California-bred horses aged three and above. The seven-furlong contest will take place on the main track. Man O Rose won last year’s edition during a five-race winning streak and has since established himself among the leading California-breds of 2026.
Sunday’s programme will feature the $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes, another seven-furlong main-track contest, this time for female California-breds. Grand Slam Smile, who recently became a millionaire, is expected to return to defend her title after winning the race last year.
The following weekend will bring two more stakes contests. The $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes will take place on Saturday, November 14, featuring two-year-old fillies over seven furlongs on the main track. Revera won the previous edition before making a brief appearance on the Kentucky Oaks trail.
On Sunday, November 15, the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes will provide a seven-furlong test for two-year-olds. Nysos won the race in 2023 and went on to enjoy an impressive career, recording eight victories from 10 starts, including the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Grade 2 San Diego Handicap, both at Del Mar in 2025.
The third week of the meeting will be highlighted by the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile contest for horses aged three and above. Nevada Beach won last year’s running, giving trainer Bob Baffert his fourth victory in the race over five years. Defunded and Dortmund are also among its notable past winners.
Mr. A.P. could also feature in the Native Diver Stakes. He won the Tokyo Cup at Santa Anita on his latest start and finished second to Ted Noffey in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar.
Del Mar Stakes Schedule Builds Towards Turf Festival Finale
Thanksgiving Day will mark the return of racing at Del Mar after a one-year break and the beginning of the FanDuel Racing Turf Festival. The four-day festival will feature nine stakes races, including seven graded contests.
The $100,000 Red Carpet Stakes will open the festival on Thursday, November 26. The 1 3/8-mile turf contest will be for fillies and mares. Mrs. Astor won the race in each of the previous two years for trainer Jonathan Thomas. Although she has since retired, Thomas will return with a new group of contenders.
Friday, November 27, will feature the 45th running of the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup. The race will cover a mile and a half on turf for horses aged three and above. Thomas won the previous two editions with Truly Quality, a son of Quality Road who recently captured the $75,000 Remington Green Stakes at Remington Park in Oklahoma.
Saturday, November 28, will bring three stakes contests to the programme. The Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes will feature two-year-old fillies over one mile on turf, while the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Stakes will cover 1 1/16 miles for horses aged three and above.
The day’s programme will also include the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, a 1 1/8-mile turf contest for three-year-olds.
The FanDuel Racing Turf Festival will conclude on Sunday, November 29, with four additional stakes races. The $100,000 Stormy Liberal Stakes will feature turf sprinters, while the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes will bring together two-year-olds over one mile.
The Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes will provide a one-mile turf contest for fillies and mares. The closing-day programme will also include the Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes, the only dirt stakes race scheduled for the festival’s final weekend, with fillies and mares competing over one mile.
Racing during the Bing Crosby Season will take place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with the first race scheduled for 12:30 p.m. local time. Thanksgiving Day will have an earlier start, with the first race set for 11 a.m.
Del Mar Connections Deliver Strong Breeders’ Cup Performances
Horses with Del Mar connections will also carry strong recent form into the fall meeting following their participation in this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland.
Six horses represented Del Mar on Future Stars Friday. Bob Baffert-trained Hughes produced the standout result by winning the Juvenile after previously capturing the Del Mar Futurity. The victory also strengthened his position as an early contender for the Kentucky Derby.
Baffert’s Miss Monica, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante, made a late challenge but finished behind Emphatic in the Juvenile Fillies. Domain Expansion finished fifth in the same race. Ruiva, runner-up in the Grade 3 Sorrento during the summer, placed ninth in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, while Vanta finished 13th in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. He Is No Lie stumbled badly at the start and finished last in the Juvenile.
A further 20 horses with Del Mar connections competed on Saturday.
In the Filly and Mare Sprint, Explora finished third for Baffert. Majestic Oops placed sixth, while Simply Joking finished seventh for trainer Michael McCarthy. Sweet Azteca finished 11th and last.
The Turf Sprint produced a major result for Bacio, who secured his first Breeders’ Cup victory over five and a half furlongs with jockey Juan Hernandez. Yellow Card finished sixth, while Sorrento Sky placed seventh.
In the Dirt Mile, Full Serrano finished third for trainer John Sadler and jockey Joel Rosario. Moonlight secured fourth place for Peter Miller, while Iron Man Cal finished last of the 10 runners.
Gimme A Nother finished second in the Filly and Mare Turf, while Liam Smith recorded a third-place finish in the Sprint. Listenupshance finished eighth, Roll on Big Joe came home 10th and Mad House finished 11th.
The Mile saw Formidable Man finish 10th for McCarthy, while Cabo Spirit placed 12th for trainer George Papaprodromou and jockey Mike Smith.
In the Distaff, Super Corredora finished fourth for Sadler and Rosario, while Eunomia placed sixth. Knightsbridge, winner of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic, represented Del Mar in the Classic and secured third place.
Del Mar Prepares for Busy Fall Season
Preparations for the meeting will continue as more horses arrive at Del Mar’s backside barn area. More than 50 horses had moved into the facility by Tuesday morning, with the number expected to reach approximately 300 during the month.
Doug O’Neill and Richard Baltas were among the latest trainers to establish their operations at the racecourse. O’Neill has brought a group of 25 horses that he will rotate between Del Mar and his remaining stable at Santa Anita. Jonathan Thomas was among the first trainers to arrive, bringing his entire 25-horse string to the venue.
Entries for The Chosen Vron Stakes and Saturday’s programme will be drawn on Wednesday, while Sunday’s card, including the Betty Grable Stakes, will be drawn on Thursday. The main track reopened for training on Monday.
The Del Mar stakes schedule will offer $2.1 million in purses across 15 stakes races during the 2026 Bing Crosby Season. Nine graded contests, including the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby and Matriarch Stakes, will headline the programme, with the four-day FanDuel Racing Turf Festival bringing the meeting to a close.
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