DEL MAR, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 02: Full Serrano ridden by Joel Rosario (R) leads the field in the … More Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile during day two of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar Race Track on November 02, 2024 in Del Mar, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
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Del Mar, California is a great getaway any time of year, but especially so when racing season begins
Growing up in Detroit, one of the teenage rites of passage was making twenty bucks disappear betting the horse races at one of a quartet of depressing local tracks. The “buggy,” or harness, races at Hazel Park Raceway was our go-to spot, and the results were pretty much fixed ahead of time, while the classier thoroughbred nags did more honest battle at Detroit Race Course, which is about as un-romantic a venue as you could imagine. Detroit was a more natural home to souped-up dragsters than it was noble steeds, but we didn’t know any better when looking for a Friday night thrill.
Jump cut to sunny California, where I managed to escape upon leaving the Motor City behind. I mostly lost interest in the ponies, even though the now defunct Hollywood Park racetrack and its classier cousin Santa Anita were in the general neighborhood. Still and all, my abiding impression of horse racing was that it had a slightly desperate air about it, and the clientele was somewhere between shady and sketchy, as befits a sport where parimutuel betting rules the day. Plenty of grizzled characters smoking big cigars and tearing up losing tickets with disgust, not a pretty picture!
Bing Crosby lends a little Hollywood glamour to the venerable sport at Del Mar
And then I had the great good fortune to discover the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club just down the highway from downtown San Diego, “a place where the surf meets the turf,” as has been said of the track since its opening in 1937. It shares a beautiful plot of land–the Del Mar Fairgrounds–that is also home to the San Diego County Fair, which precedes the racing season, and which just happens to have kicked off on this very day! And yes, crooner Bing Crosby was a founding member and owned a horse called High Strike, which won the very first race at Del Mar. Luck of the Irish? Let’s hope it was something as innocent as all that.
DEL MAR, CA – NOVEMBER 04: Talismanic ridden by Mickael Barzalona takes the lead to win the … More Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf on November 04, 2017 at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, CA. (Photo by Cynthia Lum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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If you’re lucky enough to attend on opening day, there’s an annual hat contest (just as competitive as the four-legged action on the turf) and the After Pony Party at Rancho Valencia. Day one is also set aside for the Caesars Sportsbook Oceanside Stakes, followed by the San Clemente Handicap on Saturday, which also features a Beer Festival and lots of great food. Savory Sundays are set aside for local fare from distinguished eateries like Tambayan and Monarch Ocean Pub. As if it needed pointing out, Del Mar is catering to a younger crowd drawn by social media outreach and equally interested to artisanal culinary fare as they are by the thundering hooves.
But serious students of the sport have plenty to look forward to this season, as the Breeders’ Cup World Championship will be held in Del Mar on October 31st and November 1st, the fourth time the Club has hosted the prestigious event. How serious is it? The 14 Grade 1 championship races will offer over $31 million in purses and awards–which buys a lot of tariff-laden oats and hay for the equine competitors. Del Mar expanded its luxury seating options for its first Breeders’ Cup in 2017, which generated nearly $100 million in economic benefits for San Diego County.
Study the Racing Form at the glorious Fairmont Grand Del Mar and get in a great round of golf to boot
Fairmont Grand Del Mar
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Nestled in 400 green acres of the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve is a hotel/resort that stands apart as one of the west coast’s most serene and luxurious destinations, the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, a felicitous blend of Spanish-influenced grandeur and laid-back California sophistication. Opulence abounds wherever you turn–from the rose-colored facades to the intricate ironwork, all surrounded by lush lawns and towering cypress trees. A stunning, Tom Fazio-designed championship golf course makes strategic use of the natural elevation changes and affords tricky approach shots over water hazards. Conditions are impeccable and the outdoor experience is without compare. Top touring professionals make frequent use of the premium practice facilities, including a grass driving range and dedicated chipping and putting areas.
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 26: Director and Executive Chef William Bradley of Addison Restaurant at the … More Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego, on Thursday, July 26, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
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Of course, those in the mood for true indulgence–or guests who hit a longshot trifecta at the track–should definitely make dinner reservations at Addison, chef William Bradley’s three-star Michelin restaurant. His ten-course tasting menu takes place in a stunning setting, replete with soaring ceilings, arched windows and capacious views of the surrounding hillsides. All of that and a stratospheric level of service promises an evening of gustatory joy and refined elegance. Curated wine pairings feature rare selections from small producers, adding yet another dimension to the experience.
Four heated swimming pools–one, the Relaxation Pool, is for adults only–feature the softest salt water imaginable, and a visit to Fairmont’s Spa & Wellness might just soothe the sweet pain of getting beaten in a photo-finish at the racetrack. And outdoorsy types can hike the hills or ride horseback, as well as try one’s hand at archery, tennis or pickleball. The fitness center has all the requisite whistles and bells and also hosts yoga classes for those in search of even more serenity, though just being at Grand Del Mar will likely soothe the soul for a good long spell upon departure. Truly an enchanted corner of the earth.