DEL MAR, Calif. — The 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships get underway on Friday, and for just the second time, Del Mar will be playing host.
This year's event, with a $31 million-dollar purse, could possibly break the all-time betting record, and will certainly prove lucky for our region's economy.
This will be the first time that Del Mar has hosted the Breeders' Cup since 2017: an event that is expected to draw tens of thousands of spectators and to bring in millions of dollars to the San Diego economy.
"It is the Olympics of horse racing," said Craig Dado of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, adding that the excitement for the start of the Breeders Cup is building.
"We have horses from eight different countries coming over here to run in 14 different races for a total of $31 million in purse money," he added.
One of the horses competing this weekend is "Golden Pal," whose breeder, and previous owner, is Randall Lowe.
"You are going to see me screaming and yelling!" Lowe said. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I'll be losing my mind!"
Last year, Golden Pal won the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, and he's favored to win the Turf Sprint this year.
"To go down in history," Lowe told News 8. "He'd be only the fifth horse in history to win two different Breeders Cup races."
Lowe joked that he's planning to wear the same "lucky" suit he wore when Golden Pal won Woodford Stakes last month.
"Same suit, same tie, same shirt....I think even the same underwear," he laughed.
The stakes are high for the Del Mar Race Track as well.
Dado said - with this event - there's a chance to break the all-time betting record, "not just from on-track but all over the world."
"The record right now for the Breeders' Cup is $174 million and we have our eye on that target. There's a chance we could beat it in the next two days."
It is an even more sure bet that the San Diego region will benefit economically, just as it did when we hosted the Breeders' Cup for the first time four years ago.
"By many measures, it was the most successful Breeders' Cup we've ever had," Dado added., "but look at what we are working with here: we have some of the greatest hotels, restaurants, weather, weather, beaches.. Who wouldn't want to come back to San Diego in November?"
A study by the San Diego Tourism Marketing District found by the 2017 Breeders' Cup drew crowds of more than 70,000 people, 75% of whom came from outside of San Diego, generating over $96 million in local economic impact.
"One of the reasons for that is that the world comes here to see these horses from all over the world," Dado said.
For more information on the 2021 Breeders' Cup, click here.