Del Mar

Via De La Valle & Jimmy Durante Blvd.
Del Mar, California 92014
(858) 755-1141
http://www.dmtc.com

About:
The annual beach party known as the Del Mar Thoroughbred racing season parades to the post for the 64th time beginning Wednesday, July 23. The 43 days of racing extends through Wednesday, September 10, with a six-day-a-week schedule, Tuesday being each week's day of rest.

The track's Spanish-style architecture and laid-back attitude make Del Mar the annual setting for one of America's foremost salutes to the sport, where horses, trainers, jockeys and owners come together for racing beside the sea. The track sits a couple of furlongs from the shimmering blue Pacific ("where the turf meets the surf," get it?), about 20 miles north of San Diego and 100 miles south of Los Angeles.

So what makes the racing season at Del Mar different from say, Hollywood Park or Santa Anita up north LA way? Well, for one, it's not in LA (have you ever driven to Hollywood Park? Scary area, that Inglewood is). But besides the typical different stakes activity and trainers, stables and jockeys it attracts, Del Mar is just plain cool.

And it all begins with the track's beginning back in 1937 when crooner Bing Crosby and some of his Hollywood buddies such as Pat O'Brien and Jimmy Durante got together and found a spot in a sleepy town called Del Mar to start a race track. Now, you gotta either love horses or love gambling to do something like this. Most would say it's foolish, but the genius lies in selecting Del Mar as the track's site. You see, a seaside track is just too cool...especially in the middle of summer!

Then, in 1938, the great legendary horse, Seabiscuit, came to town in an epic race against Ligaroti, where Seabiscuit, with George "Iceman" Woolf riding, won by a nose. How cool is that? Given that Seabiscuit was immortalized in the acclaimed book by Laura Hillenbrand and the much-anticipated movie based on the book is being released this summer, well, it's very cool to know Del Mar had a chapter in the legendary horse's life.

Through the years, the track ebbed and flowed with the fortunes of the sport. Some of the greates names in horse racing have graced its turf: Pincay, Shoemaker, Wittingham, Longden, Delahoussaye, Lukas, Baffert, McCarron, Cigar, Mabee, Best Pal. The list goes on...

In 1993, a major renovation and expansion made Del Mar an even better place to bet on the ponies. Whether it's rubbing elbows with the well-heeled in the Turf Club, or with the sun lovers in their beach chairs down trackside, Del Mar brings a laid-back, fun-loving attitude to horse racing. You might say, San Diego has put it's stamp on horse racing...and losing money was never so much fun!


Track Facts: 
Main Track: One Mile, oval.
Turf Course: Seven eighth's Mile.
Distance from last turn to finish line: 919 feet.