architecture at Del Mar Racetrack. After opening of the
Santa Anita Park racetrack in
Arcadia, California, on Christmas Day 1934,
William A. Quigley, a resident of
La Jolla, formed the idea of starting a racetrack on the Del Mar Fairgrounds. He pitched this to Bing Crosby, and they founded the Del Mar Turf Club on May 6, 1936. Quigley was General Manager of the racetrack until his death at the age of 49 in 1942. When Del Mar opened in 1937, Bing Crosby was at the gate to personally greet the fans. On August 12, 1938, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club hosted a $25,000 winner-take-all
match race between
Charles S. Howard's Seabiscuit and the
Binglin Stable's colt, Ligaroti. In an era when horse racing ranked second in popularity with Americans to
Major League Baseball, the match race was the first nationwide broadcast of a thoroughbred race by
NBC radio. In the race, Seabiscuit was ridden by jockey
George Woolf and Ligaroti by Noel Richardson. In front of a record crowd that helped make Del Mar race track a success, Seabiscuit won by a nose. By 1940, Del Mar became a summer playground for many
Hollywood stars. Between 1942 and 1944, the facility was closed due to the
Second World War. Initially, the grounds were used for training by the
United States Marine Corps, then as a manufacturing site for parts to
B-17 bombers. The first
Bing Crosby Stakes was held at Del Mar in 1946 and that same year the
Santa Fe Railroad began offering a racetrack special bringing spectators, bettors, and horses to Del Mar from
Los Angeles. Throughout the late 1940s and 1950s, the track became the
Saratoga of the West for summer racing. The track had large purses for many stakes, many of which were won by the famous jockey
Bill Shoemaker. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Del Mar was one of the premier racetracks in the country. The track attempted to run a fall meet in the 1960s but later canceled it after lackluster results. This allowed for the creation of the
Oak Tree Racing Association at the
Santa Anita race track. In the 1980s, the infield was opened to spectators and in 1984
Trevor Denman became the voice of Del Mar and in the 1990s, the track underwent a major renovation. The grandstand of the Del Mar Fairgrounds was demolished and replaced. In 1991, the track ran its richest race to date, the $1,000,000
Grade I Pacific Classic Stakes. The first Classic was won by a top three-year-old named
Best Pal. Beginning in 2000, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club's marketing team realized they had to attract a more youthful audience as well as a female audience. They focused Del Mar as a fashionable destination, using social media and other avenues to market the racetrack. They adopted the slogan "Cool as Ever" and created a new brand around "Del Mar Scene". They also hired jockey and model
Chantal Sutherland to be the new face of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. Del Mar has changed in demographics and audience attendance. The marketing campaign of the Del Mar Racetrack has been used as a Stanford business study to see if their strategy could be done at other racetracks. One of the largest draws each year for the Del Mar Racetrack has become Opening Day with its hats contest and parties. In March 2013, there was a vote to expand the turf portion of the racetrack. Construction began later in the year, and the work was completed in time for the 2014 racing season. The work included widening the course to 80 feet and softening the curve coming out of the diagonal chute, thus allowing more horses to compete in turf races. The following year, Del Mar renovated the main track, installing El Segundo Sand. Starting in 2014, Del Mar began to run more racing cards due to the closure of the
Hollywood Park Racetrack. A fall meet was added, featuring the
Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes,
Hollywood Derby, and
Matriarch Stakes. Del Mar hosted the
Breeders' Cup for the first time in November 2017 and for a second time in November 2021. The track is scheduled to host the Breeders' Cup again in 2024 and 2025. The meet in 2020 was held
behind closed doors due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Larry Collmus temporarily replaced Denman as Voice of Del Mar after 36 years for the summer meet. Denman did return for the fall meet in November, and resumed calling the Del Mar races in July 2021. Similar to the meet in 2020, around the COVID pandemic period, it was decided that the KAABOO festival would also be relocated from the Padres to their original place in the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Mark Terry with FLAAC said “it made sense to bring [KAABOO] back to its inaugural home where it had performed so well.” “Its official: KAABOO music festival returning to Del Mar Fairgrounds in September 2024.” from San Diego Union Tribune also states that the “Board members for the 22nd District Agricultural Association, which runs the fairgrounds, approved the deal with Festival Licensing and Acquisition Corp.” KAABOO music festivals change of location was signed Tuesday and will take action in September 2024. == Events ==