The Del Mar horse track in Southern California has suspended racing through this weekend on its new turf course after a thoroughbred was badly injured and eight other horses died in the last two weeks, race officials said.

The unusually high number of horse deaths at the track just north of San Diego has threatened to detract from its popularity as a destination for summer revelers.

This is the second suspension this week of the turf course at the sunny, coastal race track, which attracted over 42,000 people for the July 17 opening day of its summer season despite declining horse racing attendance nationwide.

Racing at Del Mar will be held this weekend on a synthetic Polytrack surface, organizers said.

Officials stopped racing on the new turf track on Sunday while a crew watered and tended to it. Racing resumed on Wednesday and then a four-year-old horse named Serious suffered a bad leg injury on Thursday, officials said.