Purses are higher, the stable area is near capacity, and Friday’s opening day drew more than 100 entrants for 10 races.

There are early indications Del Mar will launch its popular summer meeting with a strong three-day weekend.

The famous track, adjacent to the Pacific Ocean north of San Diego, could do with a successful start after two summers of declines in all-sources handle.

Last year, handle at the summer meeting exceeded $502.9 million, down from more than $527.6 million in 2023. The 2022 meeting had a handle of $579.8 million.

Dazzling Move was the longest shot in the field when she finished second in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps last month in Saratoga. Friday, she could be second choice to likely favorite Raging Sea in the Grade 2, $200,000 Shuvee Stakes at Saratoga.

Dazzling Move set the pace before being passed by Dorth Vader – the second-longest price in the field – in the Ogden Phipps, a race run over a sloppy track that Raging Sea didn’t like, as she checked in third.

Immersive, who started her championship 2-year-old campaign at Saratoga last summer, will look to bounce back from her neck defeat to Take Charge Milady in the Monomoy Girl Stakes when the two meet again in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Thus far, Nakatomi’s 6-year-old campaign has not looked much like his 5-year-old season. Trainer Wesley Ward hopes that changes Saturday when Nakatomi seeks a repeat victory in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes at Saratoga.

A Grade 1 race a year ago with a $350,000 purse, the Vanderbilt will be run as a Grade 2 this year, but it did get a purse increase to $400,000.

Truly Quality, the Grade 2 winner who emerged as a top distance turf horse in California last year, is on the comeback trail for trainer Jonathan Thomas. The 5-year-old gelding, winner of Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup in November at Del Mar, has not raced since a puzzling sixth-place finish Feb. 8 as the even-money favorite in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita.

Comeback options for Truly Quality include the Grade 2 Eddie Read on July 27 at Del Mar, which Thomas said may be “coming up too quick.” Truly Quality worked his second half-mile on July 12.

Del Mar horse-for-course Full Serrano, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in his last start Nov. 2 before being sidelined, has resumed serious training for John Sadler. Full Serrano’s two-furlong workout on July 7 was the first recorded drill of his comeback. Sadler expects Full Serrano to return late in the summer meet.

The layoff was longer than planned. Full Serrano was taken out of training in December. Sadler said Full Serrano had “a couple little setbacks. He should be working every week now.”

Fields are full for the start of the Del Mar summer meet on Friday, including a deep edition of the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes, a restricted turf mile for 3-year-olds that is the traditional feature on opening day.

Iron Man Cal, runner-up last fall in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, stakes-placed Cali Cat, and improved Day and Age are among the favorites in the 10-runner Oceanside. Average field size for Friday’s 10-race card is 10 runners per race, not counting also-eligibles.