There are few more historic racing events in the world than the Breeders’ Cup. Therefore, hosting responsibilities for the season-ending world championships are typically sought after, with many tracks vying for the opportunity to host the best that racing has to offer.
For the next two years, Del Mar will have the honor of hosting the Breeders’ Cup, taking over responsibilities following a successful staging of the event by Santa Anita in 2023.
This year’s event looks set to be one of the most exciting in recent memory, but what does hosting the 2024 Breeders’ Cup morning line odds represents for the state of California and the region of Del Mar?
Opportunity To Show Off
The region of Del Mar will be nothing new for keen racing fans, but as the host of the Breeders’ Cup, the area will be opened up to a range of new visitors from overseas once again this year. While it may be one of the newest cities in the United States after being incorporated in 1959, there is plenty of history to enjoy while at Del Mar.
Visitors are often given warm welcomes by locals, as the significance of tourist money is vitally important. Locals are also quick to showcase the historic importance of the region, as it was used during the Second World War by the US Navy to operate a Naval Auxiliary Air Facility.
The modern feel to Del Mar is a paradise for international visitors, and there is plenty to do around the region when the racing isn’t taking place. Visitors will be encouraged to explore the local area, giving Del Mar the perfect opportunity to show off everything that is great about the city.
The sights that many internationals will be looking to take in during their trip include Powerhouse Park, Dog Beach, and the Del Mar Plaza. Meanwhile, the surrounding area of San Diego is likely to be a prominent hot spot for tourism, with the San Diego Zoo likely to rank among the must-see attractions in California.
Financial Impact
One of the main reasons why the Breeders’ Cup is such a sought-after event to host is down to the financial impact that stands to be gained. Evidence of this can be found from Del Mar’s hosting of the 2017 event, which generated a record $96.8 million for the San Diego region. The numbers and stats of the economic growth were found by the Sports Management Research Institute, and they set records for the most lucrative staging of the Breeders’ Cup in history.
Del Mar and the surrounding areas flourished in 2017 while hosting the event, with a reported $57.8 million taken due to visitor spending, which takes into accounting hotels, restaurants and transport. As such, investments have been made to the track in order to welcome the stars of racing once again, with $27.2 million spent on Del Mar.
Such was the success of the Breeders’ Cup in 2017 that the figures recorded were the equivalent of creating 737 full-time jobs in the San Diego County. Betting was also a major success story of the championship during that staging, with Del Mar seeing a major increase of 27% in on-track gambling from the same figures that were recorded in 2017.
Lasting Impact
Del Mar has hosted the Breeders’ Cup once more since 2017, and therefore there will be high hopes ahead of the 2024 and 2025 editions of the competition across the next two years. One of the most pleasing aspects for organizers in the local area was the manner of which the city and surrounding area was received by visitors.
Studies found that over 70% of those that visited the Breeders’ Cup in 2017 left with a favorable impression of San Diego. Meanwhile, there was a major impression left by visitors that wanted to see more of the region with 73% wanting to come back to the city in the following year.
Both of these factors will continue to contribute to the financial success that is enjoyed by the region, and similar patterns are likely to emerge following the Breeders’ Cup this year.
When Is The Breeders’ Cup 2024?
The 2024 edition of the Breeders’ Cup will get underway at Del Mar on Friday, November 1, before the action continues on the following day. Both days are likely to be incredibly popular among visitors, with the opening day set to see potential future superstars collide in Juvenile races.
However, the focus of the world will be on Del Mar on the second day of the meet, with Championship races on the dirt and turf set to capture the imagination. The feature of the two-day meet comes in the form of the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, which was won in 2023 by White Abarrio.
