The high-stakes, summertime horseracing tradition returns to the Del Mar Race Track Wednesday, July 16. This year marks the 71st season since Bing Crosby welcomed the first guests through the front gates in 1937. Though much has changed in the world around it, Del Mar horseracing was, and remains, all about the scene.
Especially in recent years, Del Mar has been tremendously successful in marketing the racing season as a seven-week social event with horseracing, offering a variety of activities from kids days to concerts and microbrew festivals.
The party starts from day one with the trademark One and Only Truly Fabulous Hats Contest, in which entrants vie for cash and prizes for their sometimes off-the-wall hat creations in the categories of racing theme, funny/outrageous and most glamorous.
A popular draw for younger track patrons is a lineup of free concerts, including its 4 O’clock Fridays series. This year’s performers include:
“¢ Gavin Rossdale, former lead singer of Bush (July 18)
“¢ Super Diamond, Neil Diamond tribute band (July 25)
“¢ Gnarles Barkley (July 26)
“¢ Pinback (Aug. 1)
“¢ The Bravery (Aug. 8)
“¢ Ziggy Marley reggae festival (Aug. 9)
“¢ Black Francis, aka Frank Black, from the Pixies (Aug. 22)
“¢ Steel Pulse (Aug. 29)
“¢ Devo (Aug 30)
“¢ English Beat (closing day, Wednesday, Sept. 3)
Also new this year is the launch of the Web site www.delmarscene.com, an interactive Web site featuring blogs, racing season information and performing musicians’ Web pages.
Del Mar has always had its measure of Hollywood glitz since its early days as a playground for stars, and this tradition continues. Celebrities continue to frequent the track every year, while in recent history, the HBO series “Entourage” filmed at Del Mar.
For those wanting to go all-out, the Ivy Hotel is offering a Summer Trifecta package, which includes a stay at the upscale downtown San Diego hotel, Turf Club admission and transportation to and from the event.
For more kid-friendly events, Sunday, July 20 is family fun day, with children 18 and under admitted free. Saturday Donuts Days will be held July 26 and Aug. 23, giving both kids and horse enthusiasts a chance to watch the horses warm up, hear from trainers and jockeys and eat doughnuts.
Other events include a chili cook-off (Aug. 2); the Pacific Classic race, in which top horses compete for a $1 million purse (Aug. 24); Labor Day’s Jockey photo day (Sept. 1); and the closing day party in the paddock (Sept. 3).
The Del Mar Race Track has a long, rich history. The second racing season in 1938 saw the famous Seabiscuit-Ligaroti match-up. When a solid road and railways system made travel down from Los Angeles easier, Del Mar evolved throughout the years to become the playground to the stars.
The track was dark during World War II when it served, among other things, as a Marine training ground.
In 1991, the first Pacific Classic Race was held ” Del Mar’s most expensive and prestigious race ” with a $1 million purse.
Last year, the newest addition to the track was the track itself. This is the second season since Del Mar installed its synthetic Polytrak, a $9 million project involving 16,000 tons of track.
Though it results in slower overall race times, the new track, comprising silica sand, fibers, recycled rubber and wax, has been shown to reduce injuries and requires significantly less watering.
The races run Wednesday, July 16 through Wednesday, Sept. 3 and are dark on Tuesdays. First post daily is at 2 p.m., with the exception of 4 O’Clock Fridays (July 18 and 25, Aug. 1 and 8) when races begin at 4 p.m., and Aug. 15, 22 and 29 at 3:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary according to admission. Active duty military personnel with ID and their dependents are admitted free at the main entrance to Stretch Run every day.
Packages and season passes are also available. A newcomers information seminar is held daily prior to the races at the Plaza de Mexico stage.
The track is located at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. in Del Mar. For more information, visit www.dmtc.com or call (858) 793-5533.