Del Mar Race Track: Topnotch Horse Racing Action by the Sea

Del Mar Race Track, the famous seaside racing facility in Del Mar, California, has been getting the distinction of being North America’s Number One track in terms of attendance and handles for more than a decade. Daily average attendance has been hovering at the 30,000 to 37,000 level for the past few years and constant improvements to the facility are expected to boost this number to unbelievable heights in the years to come. Daily average handles, on the other hand, is estimated to be near the $13 million mark and growing.

Officially known as Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, this charming horse racing haven has alternatively been dubbed the “Racetrack Where the Turf Meets the Surf” and the “Heaven by the Pacific”. It hosts exciting thoroughbred racing typically from July to September. Del Mar Race Track has two tracks, the Main Track and the Turf Course.

Milestones and Greats

Del Mar Race Track opened its doors in 1937 and among its founders is legendary singer Bing Crosby. It quickly established itself as a playground for the stars. Among the Hollywood icons who spent long hours in Del Mar Race Track were such luminaries as Dorothy Lamour, W. C. Fields, Paulette Goddard, Edgar Bergen, June Haver, Ann Miller, Don Ameche, Ava Gardner, Red Skelton, Bing Crosby, Pat O’Brien, Desi Arnaz, and Lucille Ball.

Del Mar Race Track is home to a host of riding greats. Arguably the most notable of them was the legendary William Lee “Bill” Shoemaker. He was the very first apprentice to claim the track's riding title in 1949 and went on to achieve record-breaking feats at the Del Mar Race Track for forty years. Johnny Longden is another pillar of Del Mar Race Track’s distinguished history. He became the world's winningest rider in 1956 and was passed only by Shoemaker in 1970. A recent riding hero is Laffit Pincay, Jr. Notable trainers who have made big marks in Del Mark racetrack include Charles Wittingham, Farrell Jones, Robert Frankel and Bob Baffert.