San Luis Rey Training Center faring well at Del Mar

The Bonsall racehorse training facility which was once known as the San Luis Rey Downs Thoroughbred Training Center is now the San Luis Rey Training Center. It was closed for renovations from June 2013 to January 2014 before re-opening in January with the new name and upgraded facilities.

During the first six days of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club meet San Luis Rey trainer Peter Miller had three wins, four second-place finishes, and three third-place results. The San Luis Rey horses trained by John Sadler had three wins, one second, and four thirds.

“That’s awesome,” said San Luis Rey Training Center general manager Kevin Habell.

“For our small bunch of horses out there our percentages are great,” Habell said. “We’re doing good here.”

The sixth day of the Del Mar meet was July 24, and the Del Mar results brought the total number of finishes in the money to 82 wins, 64 second-place finishes, and 67 third-place horses since the San Luis Rey facility re-opened.

“It’s just gone great,” Habell said.

San Luis Rey has 495 stalls available. Although the California Horse Racing Board allows a horse to be shipped from San Luis Rey to the racetrack the day of the race, some trainers prefer to have their horses at the track. The shipping of horses to Del Mar for the meet has reduced the number of San Luis Rey Training Center occupied stalls to 380, although many of the horses at Del Mar will return to Bonsall after their final race of the meet.

“We’ve had some trainers come in and say their horses have improved,” Habell said. “They really love the little facility.”