A-n-n-n-nd they’re off!
Jockeys, trainers, thoroughbreds, a smattering of celebrities, politicians, VIPs and about 40,000 racing fans who somehow managed to get a weekday off work converged Wednesday where the turf meets the surf.
It was the 78th Opening Day at Del Mar, and it did not disappoint. A group 10 times larger than the population of the beach resort town hosting the meet gathered to soak up the sun, suds, sights and excitement of the summer racing season kickoff — a giant paddock party.
The track’s opening day collided this year with preview festivities for Comic-Con International. So, while super horses and folks in designer-duds took to the Turf Club and track, Superman, Wonder Woman, Star Wars Jedi and zombies swarmed the Gaslamp Quarter.
Everyone knows the drill. The Opening Day race anthem, betting window brigade and the hat contest parade of elegant, humorous and race-themed chapeaux, sometimes so heavy their wearers stagger to stand.
There were remnants of the track’s Hollywood-linked past. Lucie Arnaz — daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who joined Betty Grable, George Jessel, Mickey Rooney and Jimmy Durante as track patrons about a decade after Bing Crosby opened the gates in 1937 — was an invited guest of Thoroughbred Club President Joe Harper. Her 66th birthday was Monday.
But there are lesser-known sights and some little-known secrets that make Del Mar special.
- It is horse heaven. The salt air, sunshine and cool afternoon breezes tend to dapple racehorses’ coats. Those swirls in the horse hair are a sign of contentment.
- Boot Hill: In the infield a memorial site marks the graves of four horses, including 1960s Hall of Fame champion Native Diver. The latest addition is Shared Belief. He was felled by colic and his ashes interred last September. (Three dogs, all linked to the racetrack, also have been laid to rest there.)
- One of the best bargains is Camp Del Mar. The $24-a-day camp is for children ages 5-12. It opened for business in an exhibit hall when the gates opened Wednesday and runs through Sept. 4, closing 30 minutes after the last race on Wednesdays through Sundays.
- What you won’t see at Del Mar are about 1,400 parking spaces, part of the former overflow space on the south side of Jimmy Durante Boulevard. Following negotiations with the state, about 10 acres are being restored to their natural habitat. What you will see is a much expanded Uber drop-off/pick-up area just inside the main parking gate.
- If the horses seem to take off on the track, there is good reason. The dirt is from LAX. Yes, a trainer spotted the hoof-loving “El Segundo sand” during a Los Angeles airport runway renovation. The soil was the perfect mix of sand and clay and, after some negotiation, was scooped up by both Santa Anita Park racetrack and Del Mar (31,000 tons). This way, the horses also have a similar racing surface when they migrate from one track to another.
- A veritable city has sprung up almost overnight to handle 2,000 workers and their families (including lodging for 1,000), plus as many as 1,900 horses, behind the backstretch. Included are a restaurant, dental service, medical care, chaplain, a recreation center and organized outings.
- Lady jockey Chantal Sutherland is back this season. After twice announcing her retirement, most recently in 2014, Sutherland claims to be back for the long haul. She was one of People magazine’s “100 most beautiful people” in 2006 and a fixture in Del Mar racetrack’s TV commercials in 2012 and 2013.
- Not all Opening Day action was on the track. Shooting a video segment for the seventh season of their E! network reality TV show, “Total Divas,” were Brie and Nikki Bella, body beautiful identical twins and former WWE Divas Champions. Along with visiting the stable of trainer Doug O’Neill and handing out a race trophy, they entered the hat contest — competing against one another. Brie said this is one way to stay competitive out of the ring.
- Production began on another new reality show, “Win Place Show,” to air on TVG and TVG2 beginning Sept. 5. It pits teams of bettors, each coupled with a professional race handicapper, over 10 episodes. The actual competition, however, will play out on consecutive Saturdays.
Del Mar’s biggest, though not best-kept secret, is that July 22 is the better day to hit Del Mar if you want more than the glitz and glamour of Opening Day. That’s when the hottest horse in the world, Arrogate, winner of $17 million and counting, is scheduled to run in the $300,000 San Diego Handicap.
Even “60 Minutes” is slated to fly in Charlie Rose to interview Bob Baffert, Arrogate’s trainer, and to catch the action for a future episode.
Saturday will also be a day to get your nostalgic San Diego Chargers football fix. About 50 former Chargers players are expected to show up and, rumor has it, so might Chargers owner Dean Spanos.
diane.bell@sduniontribune.com
(619) 293-1518
Twitter: @dianebellSD
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