In 1937, world-famous recording artist and movie star Bing Crosby (along with some of his Hollywood pals like Jimmy Durante and Pat O'Brien) set out to achieve a horse racing dream they had talked about for many years. They wanted to build a world-class horse race track where they could go wild horse betting all day and get wilder partying all night while enjoying the refreshing climate and cool ocean breezes of San Diego. The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club was born and built.
When the race track opened the next year, Bing Crosby personally met fans at the ticket turnstyles to welcome them. The sleepy little resort village of Del Mar was about to became famous as the home of horse racing, soon to be visited by Hollywood stars, horsemen and horse racing fans from all around the globe.
In August of 1938, the track hosted a $25,000 winner-take-all match race between Charles S. Howard's Seabiscuit and the Binglin Stable's colt, Ligaroti. This was an era when horse racing ranked second in popularity only to Major League Baseball. The race was front page sports section news in all the major newspapers was the first nationwide broadcast of a thoroughbred horse race by NBC radio. Seabiscuit won this important race by a nose before a record crowd and the Del Mar Race Track was "on the map" as one of the most famous race tracks in the world.
The following years brought even more stars and celebrities to Del Mar and the race track: Red Skelton, Douglas Fairbanks, Lucy Ball, Desi Arnaz ("Lucy, you some 'splainin to do!") and Ava Gardner. The track was also frequented by Joe Frisco, a softly stuttering comic of the day, who would relate his success at "Bing's" racetrack thusly: "I came by the racetrack yesterday but it was closed, so I just sh-shoved the money under the front gate."
When the United States entered the second World War in 1942, the fun was over for a few years. The site was used as a training base for the Marines, then a manufacturing plant for bomber airplane parts. When Japan surrendered in 1945, August 15 was a national holiday. More than 20,000 horse lovers attended Del Mar that day, betting more than $900,000 - a spectacular sum at the time.
In 1946 the Santa Fe Railroad began offering a race track special to bring spectators, bettors and horses to Del Mar from Los Angeles. Greeting the train (the "racetrack special") at the train station became a popular tradition for Del Mar residents. Today, in 2009, more than seventy years (and sixty million dollars in improvements) later, the racing season begins on July 22 and extends through September 9.
When the race track opened the next year, Bing Crosby personally met fans at the ticket turnstyles to welcome them. The sleepy little resort village of Del Mar was about to became famous as the home of horse racing, soon to be visited by Hollywood stars, horsemen and horse racing fans from all around the globe.
In August of 1938, the track hosted a $25,000 winner-take-all match race between Charles S. Howard's Seabiscuit and the Binglin Stable's colt, Ligaroti. This was an era when horse racing ranked second in popularity only to Major League Baseball. The race was front page sports section news in all the major newspapers was the first nationwide broadcast of a thoroughbred horse race by NBC radio. Seabiscuit won this important race by a nose before a record crowd and the Del Mar Race Track was "on the map" as one of the most famous race tracks in the world.
The following years brought even more stars and celebrities to Del Mar and the race track: Red Skelton, Douglas Fairbanks, Lucy Ball, Desi Arnaz ("Lucy, you some 'splainin to do!") and Ava Gardner. The track was also frequented by Joe Frisco, a softly stuttering comic of the day, who would relate his success at "Bing's" racetrack thusly: "I came by the racetrack yesterday but it was closed, so I just sh-shoved the money under the front gate."
When the United States entered the second World War in 1942, the fun was over for a few years. The site was used as a training base for the Marines, then a manufacturing plant for bomber airplane parts. When Japan surrendered in 1945, August 15 was a national holiday. More than 20,000 horse lovers attended Del Mar that day, betting more than $900,000 - a spectacular sum at the time.
In 1946 the Santa Fe Railroad began offering a race track special to bring spectators, bettors and horses to Del Mar from Los Angeles. Greeting the train (the "racetrack special") at the train station became a popular tradition for Del Mar residents. Today, in 2009, more than seventy years (and sixty million dollars in improvements) later, the racing season begins on July 22 and extends through September 9.
About the Author:
Terry Hunefeld retired several years ago from his job as a CEO follow his bliss of exploring the Pacific Ocean counting seabirds. Terry and his wife Ann Dunham own and operate the delightful Inn At Moonlight Beach Bed and Breakfast in the Del Mar area. More about the Del Mar Race Track and Del Mar Horse Racing.
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