The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club opened in 1937 and has provided Southern California racing fans with decades of high-quality racing and picturesque weather ever since. I was fortunate enough to live in the San Diego area multiple times in my life and there is little doubt nothing compares to “Where the Turf Meets the Surf.” Let’s look ahead at the five days I am most looking forward to in San Diego County this summer.

1. August 31 – Much like Travers Day at Saratoga, Pacific Classic Day at Del Mar is an absolute no-brainer for the top spot. The $1 million dollar Grade I event at a mile and a quarter over the main track has seen some of racing’s best over the last few decades win the event, including Flightline in 2022, Shared Belief, Beholder, and California Chrome in consecutive years from 2014 to 2016 and of course Best Pal in the inaugural edition in 1991. Add to that three graded stakes races on the grass and the Torrey Pines (G3) for 3YO fillies and you have a day obviously worth blocking off the calendar immediately.

2. July 20 - Opening Day at any racetrack brings a certain energy but nothing I have experienced compares to the first day of the meet at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. I highly recommend attending this massive party less than a mile away from the Pacific Ocean at least once but the good news for horseplayers is the action is also strong from home. The Oceanside Stakes is the traditional feature on Opening Day at Del Mar and this year with a Saturday opening it will be joined by the San Clemente (G3) for 3YO fillies going two-turns over the lawn. With huge pools, full fields, and a plethora of horizontal wagering opportunities on the menu, the summer is certain to kick off in promising fashion on Saturday.

3. September 8 - Some closing days can feel anticlimactic to an extent but not the last day of racing at Del Mar where they save one of the meet’s biggest races until the end in the Del Mar Futurity. The Grade I event for 2YOs has essentially been the Bob Baffert Invitational dating back to the mid 1990’s when he won his first with Silver Charm. Since then, the 6-time Kentucky Derby winning conditioner has rattled off 13 more victories in the event including the last three with Pinehurst, Cave Rock, and Prince of Monaco. The 7-furlong race for juveniles often produces future stars and it headlines a card that also includes the Del Mar Juvenile Turf (G3) and full fields throughout. Labor Day is and will always be a day to bet on the ponies for yours truly and I am sure many of you.

4. July 27 - The first weekend of racing is always fantastic at Del Mar with the rails in on that beautiful turf course and the anticipation of a big summer on all horse players minds but the first Grade I event comes the following week. The $400,000 Bing Crosby headlines the second Saturday along with the local prep for the Pacific Classic, the San Diego Handicap (G2). The 8.5-furlong event over the main track produced one of the more memorable live racing moments of my life when Arrogate was flat after his voyage to Dubai and finished fourth at 1-20. We will not see a historic upset like that this year but we should get a great day of racing nonetheless.

5. September 7 - Closing Day is not the only day worth getting extra excited for at the end of the meet. The final Saturday is almost equally as exciting. The Del Mar Debutante (G1) for 3YO fillies is the headliner and the John C. Mabee (G3) and the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf almost always provide racing fans with full fields and competitive wagering as well. Plain and simple, Del Mar offers up one of my favorite closing weekends on the racing calendar.

This year should be no exception. Good luck this summer “Where the Turf Meets the Surf”!

Approximately one in three turf races during the 2023 Del Mar summer season were turf sprints. That’s a heavy dose of dashes, 41 of them in all over the 31-day racing season. Not all American turf sprints are created equal, and I find Del Mar’s to be among the least intimidating. What can be considered chaotic races in many ports of call are far more straightforward where the Turf Meets the Surf.

One Trip Pony

Unlike SoCal sidekick Santa Anita, we’re only dealing with a single distance and course for turf sprints. The 5-furlong trip at Del Mar doesn’t alter like Santa Anita’s four different trips over the flat or downhill courses. That’s a load off handicappers’ minds.
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Firm Footing Welcomes All

The short-cropped turf doesn’t deviate much from the footing at Santa Anita, which means horses can transfer their form between the two popular west coast venues … unlike the major differences in courses in the Midwest and East when dealing with shippers.The over-the-top footing at Del Mar in turf sprints also bodes well for dirt speed trying to translate. Firm ground is almost assured at Del Mar in summer, another variable other parts of the country can’t rely upon, and even Santa Anita remains more prone to rain during its winter-spring meeting.In Del Mar turf sprints, you know you’re going to get firm ground that newbies can handle as easily as anywhere, coast to coast.

Cleaner Trips, Less Chaos

Because of the gate’s rather close proximity to the far turn, field sizes are controlled at Del Mar. You don’t get the wild 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14-horse scrambles that are part of the Midwest and Eastern turf sprint scene. Last year, 34 of the 41 turf sprints had 8 or fewer starters. Only 13 boasted 10, 8 had 11 and 4 maxed out at 12. Smaller field sizes obviously cut into the chaos and reduce the pari-mutuel returns. So that can be a handicapping plus, but a gambling minus. The smaller field sizes allow for cleaner trips, and given the 5-furlong dash distance, you’re not looking at jockeys playing cat-and-mouse games like they may over a 2-turn route trip with similar field sizes. The post position stats show no obvious advantage or disadvantage with nearly every starting spot between 12-15% among posts 1-8. The extreme posts (9-12), rarely used, were a combined 2-39 last summer and pose an obstacle for ground loss.

Faithful Form

Favorites won a reliable, but not dissuading, 39% in turf sprints last summer while showing a 15% flat-bet profit. The chalk lit the exacta in turf sprints nearly 59%. Only 3 winners from 197 turf sprints at Del Mar over the past 5 summers topped 20-1 longshot status.

The Human Touch

Trainer Peter Eurton’s wild 11: 6-3-0 record in turf sprints last summer at Del Mar stands out, while Steve Miyadi offered precision strikes at 4: 3-0-0 and is 10-32 in turf sprints over the last 5 summers at Dmr with a $1.59 ROI for every $1 bet. Edwin Maldonado (6 wins, 21%, strong positive ROI) and Umberto Rispoli (5 wins, 21%, slight losing ROI) paced the turf sprint jockeys last summer.