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It's that time of year already - time for the start of the Del Mar and Saratoga meets. Down in San Diego, Del Mar is the first to open it's gates on Wednesday, July 18th at 2:00pm Pacific. The track will begin at 4:00pm on all Fridays during the meet, which means I see a lot of Del Mar Friday Night Lights on the horizon. The Del Mar meeting will run until September 5th and will feature racing five days a week (dark on Mondays and Tuesdays). The entire Del Mar meet can be viewed on TVG.
Saratoga opens it's 144th season on Friday, July 20th with a 1:00pm Eastern post time and will race six days a week until September 3rd (dark on Tuesdays). The track will offer a special 2:30pm post time on Friday, July 27th and Friday, August 31st. All races from Saratoga can be viewed on either HRTV or TVG, with special Summer at Saratoga programs on NBC throughout the meet.
Opening day at Del Mar features the split division Oceanside Stakes, a $100,000 one mile turf race for three-year-old non-winners of $50,000 in 2012. The first division, race 6, contains an interesting shipper from Italy, 4-Facoltoso (GB) (8/1), recently sixth in the G3-Italian 2000 Guineas. The second division (race 9) is led by 9-Holy Candy (9/5), another son of Candy Ride (ARG) bred and owned by Jenny Craig. Holy Candy finished 3rd in the G3-Affirmed in his last start and was 4th in the G1-Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in mid-April. This will be Holy Candy's first try on the turf.
I'll take an in-depth look at the opening day Del Mar card tomorrow Wednesday morning.
Below is the full stakes calendar for the 2012 Del Mar and Saratoga meets.
| Date | Track | Race | Gr. | Age | Sex | State | Dist. | Surf. | Purse |
| 18-Jul | DMR | Oceanside | 3yo | 8.0 | Turf | 100,000 | |||
| 20-Jul | SAR | Schuylerville | 3 | 2yo | f | 6.0 | Dirt | 150,000 | |
| 20-Jul | SAR | James Marvin | 3 | 3&up | 7.0 | Dirt | 100,000 | ||
| 20-Jul | DMR | CTBA | 2yo | f | 5.5 | Poly | 100,000 | ||
| 21-Jul | SAR | TVG CCA Oaks | 1 | 3yo | f | 9.0 | Dirt | 300,000 | |
| 21-Jul | DMR | Osunitas | 3&up | f&m | 8.5 | Turf | 85,000 | ||
| 21-Jul | DMR | Eddie Read | 1 | 3&up | 9.0 | Turf | 300,000 | ||
| 22-Jul | SAR | Sanford | 2 | 2yo | 6.0 | Dirt | 200,000 | ||
| 22-Jul | DMR | California Dreamin' | 3&up | CA | 8.5 | Turf | 100,000 | ||
| 22-Jul | DMR | San Clemente | 2 | 3yo | f | 8.0 | Turf | 150,000 | |
| 23-Jul | SAR | Evan Shipman | 3&up | NY | 9.0 | Dirt | 100,000 | ||
| 25-Jul | SAR | Lake George | 2 | 3yo | 8.5 | Turf | 200,000 | ||
| 25-Jul | DMR | Wickerr | 3&up | 8.0 | Turf | 85,000 | |||
| 26-Jul | SAR | Quick Call | 3yo | 5.5 | Turf | 100,000 | |||
| 27-Jul | SAR | Curlin | 3yo | 9.0 | Dirt | 100,000 | |||
| 27-Jul | DMR | Cougar II | 3 | 3&up | 12.0 | Poly | 100,000 | ||
| 28-Jul | SAR | Diana | 1 | 3&up | f&m | 9.0 | Turf | 600,000 | |
| 28-Jul | SAR | Jim Dandy | 2 | 3yo | 9.0 | Dirt | 600,000 | ||
| 28-Jul | DMR | Fleet Treat | 3yo | f | CA | 7.0 | Poly | 200,000 | |
| 28-Jul | DMR | San Diego | 2 | 3&up | 8.5 | Poly | 200,000 | ||
| 29-Jul | SAR | Amsterdam | 2 | 3yo | 6.5 | Dirt | 200,000 | ||
| 29-Jul | DMR | Bing Crosby | 1 | 3&up | 6.0 | Poly | 300,000 | ||
| 30-Jul | SAR | Caress | 3&up | f&m | 5.5 | Turf | 200,000 | ||
| Aug. 1 | SAR | John Morrissey | 3&up | NY | 6.5 | Dirt | 100,000 | ||
| Aug. 1 | DMR | Graduation | 2yo | CA | 5.5 | Poly | 100,000 | ||
| Aug. 10 | SAR | National Museum of Racing HOF | 2 | 3yo | 8.5 | Turf | 200,000 | ||
| Aug. 10 | DMR | Daisycutter | 3&up | f&m | 5.0 | Turf | 85,000 | ||
| Aug. 11 | SAR | Fourstardave | 2 | 3&up | 8.0 | Turf | 500,000 | ||
| Aug. 11 | DMR | La Jolla | 2 | 3yo | 8.5 | Turf | 150,000 | ||
| Aug. 12 | SAR | Adirondack | 2 | 2yo | f | 6.5 | Dirt | 200,000 | |
| Aug. 12 | SAR | Saratoga Special | 2 | 2yo | 6.5 | Dirt | 200,000 | ||
| Aug. 12 | DMR | John C. Mabee | 2 | 3&up | f&m | 9.0 | Turf | 250,000 | |
| Aug. 13 | SAR | Coronation Cup | 3yo | f | 5.5 | Dirt | 100,000 | ||
| Aug. 15 | SAR | Troy | 3&up | 5.5 | Dirt | 100,000 | |||
| Aug. 15 | DMR | Green Flash | 3&up | 5.0 | Turf | 85,000 | |||
| Aug. 16 | SAR | West Point | 3&up | NY | 8.5 | Turf | 150,000 | ||
| Aug. 17 | SAR | Yaddo | 3yo | f&m | NY | 8.5 | Dirt | 150,000 | |
| Aug. 17 | DMR | Sandy Blue | 3yo | f | 8.0 | Turf | 85,000 | ||
| Aug. 18 | SAR | Alabama | 1 | 3yo | f | 10.0 | Dirt | 600,000 | |
| Aug. 18 | SAR | Sword Dancer | 1 | 3&up | 12.0 | Turf | 600,000 | ||
| Aug. 18 | DMR | Del Mar Oaks | 1 | 3yo | 8.0 | Turf | 100,000 | ||
| Aug. 19 | SAR | Lake Placid | 2 | 3yo | f | 9.0 | Turf | 200,000 | |
| Aug. 19 | DMR | Rancho Bernardo | 3 | 3&up | f&m | 6.5 | Poly | 150,000 | |
| Aug. 19 | DMR | Solano Beach Hcp. | 3&up | f&m | CA | 8.0 | Turf | 100,000 | |
| Aug. 2 | SAR | A.P. Smithwick Steeplechase | 2 | 4&up | 16.5 | Turf | 100,000 | ||
| Aug. 20 | SAR | Union Avenue | 3&up | f&m | NY | 6.0 | Dirt | 100,000 | |
| Aug. 22 | SAR | Albany | 3yo | NY | 9.0 | Dirt | 150,000 | ||
| Aug. 23 | SAR | NY Turf Writer's Steeplechase | 1 | 4&up | NY | 19.0 | Turf | 150,000 | |
| Aug. 24 | SAR | Ballerina | 1 | 3&up | f&m | 7.0 | Dirt | 500,000 | |
| Aug. 24 | DMR | CTT and TOC Hcp. | 3&up | f&m | 11.0 | Turf | 85,000 | ||
| Aug. 25 | SAR | Ballston Spa | 2 | 3&up | f&m | 8.5 | Turf | 250,000 | |
| Aug. 25 | SAR | Travers | 1 | 3yo | 10.0 | Dirt | 1,000,000 | ||
| Aug. 25 | SAR | Test | 1 | 3yo | f | 7.0 | Dirt | 500,000 | |
| Aug. 25 | SAR | Foxwoods King's Bishop | 1 | 3yo | 7.0 | Dirt | 500,000 | ||
| Aug. 25 | DMR | Del Mar Hcp. | 2 | 3&up | f&m | 11.0 | Turf | 85,000 | |
| Aug. 26 | SAR | Personal Ensign | 1 | 3&up | f&m | 9.0 | Dirt | 600,000 | |
| Aug. 26 | DMR | Pat O'Brien | 2 | 3&up | 7.0 | Poly | 200,000 | ||
| Aug. 26 | DMR | Del Mar Mile | 2 | 3&up | 8.0 | Turf | 200,000 | ||
| Aug. 26 | DMR | TVG Pacific Classic | 1 | 3&up | 10.0 | Poly | 1,000,000 | ||
| Aug. 27 | SAR | Saratoga Dew | 3&up | f&m | NY | 9.0 | Dirt | 100,000 | |
| Aug. 29 | SAR | P.G. Johnson | 2yo | f | 8.5 | Turf | 100,000 | ||
| Aug. 29 | DMR | Generous Portion | 2yo | f | CA | 6.0 | Poly | 150,000 | |
| Aug. 3 | SAR | Honorable Miss | 2 | 3&up | f&m | 6.0 | Dirt | 200,000 | |
| Aug. 3 | SAR | John's Call | 3&up | 13.0 | Turf | 100,000 | |||
| Aug. 3 | DMR | Real Good Deal | 3yo | CA | 7.0 | Poly | 200,000 | ||
| Aug. 30 | SAR | With Anticipation | 2 | 2yo | 8.5 | Turf | 200,000 | ||
| Aug. 31 | SAR | Riskaverse | 3yo | f | 8.0 | Turf | 100,000 | ||
| Aug. 31 | DMR | El Cajon | 3yo | 8.0 | Poly | 100,000 | |||
| Aug. 4 | SAR | Whitney | 1 | 3&up | 9.0 | Dirt | 750,000 | ||
| Aug. 4 | SAR | Prioress | 1 | 3yo | f | 6.0 | Dirt | 300,000 | |
| Aug. 4 | SAR | De La Rose | 2 | 3&up | f&m | 8.0 | Turf | 100,000 | |
| Aug. 4 | DMR | Clement Hirsch | 1 | 3&up | 6.5 | Poly | 100,000 | ||
| Aug. 5 | SAR | Alfred G. Vanderbilt | 1 | 3&up | 6.0 | Dirt | 400,000 | ||
| Aug. 5 | DMR | Best Pal | 2 | 2yo | 6.5 | Poly | 150,000 | ||
| Aug. 6 | SAR | Signature Stallions Waya | 3&up | f&m | 12.0 | Turf | 100,000 | ||
| Aug. 8 | SAR | NYSS (Cab Calloway) | 3yo | 8.0 | Turf | 100,000 | |||
| Aug. 8 | DMR | Sorrento | 3 | 2yo | f | 6.5 | Poly | 150,000 | |
| Aug. 9 | SAR | NYSS (Statue of Liberty) | 3yo | f | 8.0 | Turf | 100,000 | ||
| Sep. 1 | SAR | Forego | 1 | 3&up | 7.0 | Dirt | 500,000 | ||
| Sep. 1 | SAR | Woodward | 1 | 3&up | NY | 9.0 | Dirt | 750,000 | |
| Sep. 1 | SAR | Bernard Baruch | 2 | 3&up | 8.5 | Turf | 250,000 | ||
| Sep. 1 | DMR | Harry F. Brubaker | 3&up | 8.0 | Poly | 85,000 | |||
| Sep. 1 | DMR | Del Mar Debutante | 1 | 2yo | 7.0 | Poly | 300,000 | ||
| Sep. 2 | SAR | Spinaway | 1 | 2yo | f | 7.0 | Dirt | 300,000 | |
| Sep. 2 | SAR | Saranac | 3 | 3yo | 9.0 | Turf | 150,000 | ||
| Sep. 2 | DMR | Adoration | 3&up | f&m | 8.0 | Poly | 85,000 | ||
| Sep. 2 | DMR | Torrey Pines | 3yo | f | 8.0 | Poly | 100,000 | ||
| Sep. 2 | DMR | Del Mar Derby | 2 | 3yo | 9.0 | Turf | 300,000 | ||
| Sep. 3 | SAR | Three Chimney's Hopeful | 2 | 2yo | 7.0 | Dirt | 300,000 | ||
| Sep. 3 | SAR | Glens Falls | 3 | 3&up | f&m | 11.0 | Turf | 150,000 | |
| Sep. 3 | DMR | I'm Smokin | 2yo | CA | 6.0 | Poly | 150,000 | ||
| Sep. 3 | DMR | Oak Tree Juvenile Fillies Turf | 2yo | f | 8.0 | Turf | 100,000 | ||
| Sep. 3 | DMR | Yellow Ribbon | 2 | 3&up | f&m | 8.5 | Turf | 250,000 | |
| Sep. 5 | DMR | CERF Stakes | 3&up | f&m | 6.0 | Poly | 85,000 | ||
| Sep. 5 | DMR | Pirate's Bounty | 3&up | 6.0 | Poly | 85,000 | |||
| Sep. 5 | DMR | Oak Tree Juvenile Turf | 2yo | 8.0 | Turf | 100,000 | |||
| Sep. 5 | DMR | Del Mar Futurity | 1 | 2yo | 7.0 | Poly | 300,000 |