Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Craven
OK, now you guys are starting to make me jealous I'm heading to Del Mar this year
Ted
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Del Mar is nice but can be HOT. Much easier to get there nowadays. We used to drive in from Orange County and it would take quite awhile to get there since the freeway was not finished as it went right through the big Marine Corps base at Camp Pendleton.
I can recall seeing the great Cougar II's very first North American start there as he was brought up from South America by Joe Hernandez the long time announcer at Santa Anita. He NEVER paid as much as he did for that day's win as no one knew about him yet.
I learned a trick way back then: IF Shoe stayed for his mount in the final race of the day: BET IT.
You get serenaded (TWICE) by Bing singing "Where the turf meets the surf." Used to play his old 40's version before the first race, and an updated 70's version before the final contest on the card. Bing used to have a radio show there every weekend and he would greet hundreds at the gate while he was on the air. Del Mar was a cooperative effort of Bing, Jimmy Durante and Pat O'Brien.
For years Southern Pacific used to run a special train daily that they called "The Gamblers Special" out of LA. Always wanted to take that but never did and now it is gone.
Seabiscuit ran one of his lesser known match races there in 1938 against Ligaroti.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcnawQ7DFaE
Riders in that match got into such a battle late, that both were suspended months in a non-betting race.
Turf course in much like a golf putting green (very short grass) that allows many a wire job.