Track will be watched as Del Mar meeting begins

Del Mar is one of the few race tracks in California where the fans continue to come out in large numbers, particularly on opening day, so it should be another party-like atmosphere Wednesday for the start of a 37-day meeting.

Last year a record 44,907 showed up for opening day. The $100,000 Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds going one mile on the turf leads the 10-race card Wednesday.

But in a sign that Del Mar isn’t immune from the racing industry’s problems around the state, there were only 10 horses entered in the Oceanside. Three years ago, they had to run three divisions of the Oceanside because there were 29 entries. For 19 consecutive years, it was split into divisions, but a dwindling horse population continues to affect California racing.

Of particular interest to horsemen will be the Del Mar Polytrack surface. Last year, there were problems early on, with six catastrophic injuries during a 10-day span, and trainers complained that the surface was inconsistent from the morning to the afternoon. Del Mar has hired a new track superintendent, Richard Tedesco, who oversaw the race meeting at Santa Anita.

Among the highlights of the meet could be an appearance by unbeaten Zenyatta in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes on Aug. 7.

The $1-million Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles remains the richest race of a summer meeting that will have approximately $22 million in purses. It will be run on Aug. 28.

Del Mar is the place where many trainers try to unveil their top 2-year-olds, so beware of trainers Bob Baffert and John Sadler as they bring out their young horses. Last year, Sadler debuted Sidney’s Candy, who went on to win this year’s Santa Anita Derby.

On the final day of the Hollywood Park meeting, the Baffert-trained Smash was an impressive maiden winner in a 2-year-old race and figures to contend in the stakes events for 2-year-old colts at Del Mar.

Baffert said there’s a good chance he’ll bring back Take Control, a 3-year-old son of 1992 horse of the year A.P. Indy out of 2002 horse of the year Azeri. Take Control, purchased for $1.9 million, went to the sidelines with bucked shins after winning his first and only race last December at a mile at Santa Anita.

First post is 2 p.m.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com