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.
