Out of all the racetracks in the continental United States, I would have to say my favourite to bet at is definitely Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. For my money it isn’t comparable, when Del Mar is in session you’re going to see horses from all four corners of the globe- classy Europeans, Japanese champions, even the odd South African horse or Hong Kong colt makes an appearance during a meet.
The real clincher for me is that Del Mar is available for free live streaming thanks to calracing.com! You just have to give them a random e-mail address and you’re good to go forever- for free. Whenever Del Mar has a meet, it’s front and center at calracing.
What really does it for me, however, is the fact that the host of their simulcast show is a a dude in a hawaiian vacation shirt and his name is friggin John Lies. Could you imagine being a professional horse show host and your name is John Lies. Killer. Such a badass name.
Weather is a big factor for me as well and I find one of the main reasons that I struggle sometimes on North East racing is when the slop comes into play. I’ve really never seen Del Mar looking in bad shape and I think having the ocean so nearby might be more relaxing to the horses.
Speaking of scenery, there’s a reason why they call Del Mar “Where the Turf Meets the Surf”! You basically have the surf-ready shores of San Diego beach right outside the paddock and then you’ve got, what looks to be, a twenty-lane highway on the other side. Can’t get more California than that.
Some of the best graded action takes place during Del Mar meets and the stand outs are the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes (Crosby was integral in the creation of Del Mar Thoroughbred Club) and the Clement L. Hirsch Handicap. The other Grade 1 races include sthe Del Mar Debutante Stakes, the Del Mar Futurity (which runs in the autumn meet) and the Del Mar Oaks. The Eddie Read Handicap, John C. Mabee Handicap, Pacific Classic Stakes and the Pat O’Brien Handicap round out all the other Grade 1 action.
The Best Pal Stakes is another big one and the Del Mar Derby and the Del Mar Handicap bring in plenty of excitement on an annual basis.
If you love the vibe of West Coast racing as much as I do, Del Mar is literally an unmissable racetrack.
