Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

And They're Off

The History and Horses of the Racetrack at Del Mar

For 75 years, Del Mar has hosted some of racing’s most iconic horses and horsemen and has brought the thrill of the race to millions of fans. This year, the Del Mar season runs July 18 through September 5.

Joe Harper, CEO of Del Mar Thoroughbred Club  (DMTC), says

“Horses are at the very core of what America is all about. They are a large part of our history and they live on with us today as both symbol and reality of all the things that are good and true and strong in our society.”
Jockey Mike Smith rode Zenyatta in 17 of her 20 career races, including her three victories at Del Mar.

The San Diego Natural History Museum will be displaying iconic photographs from the DMTC's historic collection.

In this special San Diego-only section of The Horse , you will:

  • Discover the beginnings of Del Mar, thanks to Bing Crosby, the late Rancho Santa Fe resident and racing aficionado, who partnered with movie star friends and investors to build the one-mile racetrack in 1937.
  • Learn about the 1938 match race at Del Mar between the legendary Seabiscuit and South American champion Ligaroti.
  • "Meet" the famous and statuesque Zenyatta, the champion racemare and only horse to win Del Mar's prestigious Clement L. Hirsch Stakes three years in a row (2010-09-08). On Facebook, Zenyatta has over 100,000 likes.

 

Jockeys and horses race on the Del Mar track.

 

 

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and theNAT have developed special activities in support of The Horse including Racetrack Clubhouse ticket giveaways for Museum patrons on special partner days and a special Race Sponsorship Day, when an actual race will be named in honor of The Horse . Keep an eye on theNAT’s Facebook page for the latest information!

 

 

 

 

 

 

True to form, the mighty mare Zenyatta comes from behind to win the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar in 2010.
Zenyatta poses for her portrait.
Racing as seen from the rear.
Bing Crosby’s wife, Dixie, presents Seabiscuit’s trophy to the horse’s owner, C.S. Howard. , Bing Crosby (at left) and Lin Howard (right)—son of C.S. Howard and co-owner with Crosby of Ligaroti—look on.
Seabiscuit gears up with a morning workout, 1938.
Crosby, pipe in place, was a familiar sight on horseback in the track’s early years.
Seabiscuit and Ligaroti go head-to-head.
Crosby mingles with racing fans on the day the track opened its gates to the public, July 3, 1937.