Opening Day at Del Mar: An Insider’s Guide to Where the Turf Meets the Surf

Del Mar’s 2026 racing season opens on Friday, July 17, kicking off the 87th year of thoroughbred racing at the only seaside track in the country. Gates open at 11:30 a.m., the first race goes off at 2 p.m., and the season runs through Labor Day, September 7. If you’re heading down to Del Mar Village or Rancho Santa Fe this summer, Opening Day isn’t just a race — it’s San Diego’s unofficial start of summer, and the locals know how to do it right.

Here’s what you need to know before you go: the schedule, the history behind the hats and the horses, and the details that separate a good day at the track from a great one.

Quick Facts: Del Mar Opening Day 2026

When Does the 2026 Del Mar Racing Season Run?

The 2026 Del Mar racing season runs from Opening Day on Friday, July 17 through Labor Day, Monday, September 7 — 32 days of live racing across roughly eight weeks, with horses on the track Thursday through Sunday each week.

This year’s meet features a 37-race stakes schedule offering $7.775 million in total purses, with six Grade I stakes headlining the card. If you’re used to Friday races starting later in the afternoon, note the change: Fridays have moved to a new 2 p.m. first post this year, previously 4 p.m., for a more consistent schedule across the meet, and the closing weekend of September 5 through 7 shifts to a 1:30 p.m. post.

A few dates worth putting on the calendar:

• July 17 — Opening Day
• July 25 — Bing Crosby Stakes ($400,000)
• August 1 — Clement L. Hirsch Stakes ($400,000)
• August 22 — The $1 million Pacific Classic, the top-purse race in West Coast racing, anchors a stacked card that also includes the Del Mar Oaks, the Del Mar Mile Stakes, and the Green Flash Handicap
• September 5–6 — Del Mar Debutante and Del Mar Futurity, the season’s marquee races for two-year-olds

Note for the die-hards: the Pacific Classic normally anchors Labor Day weekend, but it runs earlier this year, on Saturday, August 22 — so don’t wait until closing weekend if that’s the card you’re planning around.

What Are the Best Insider Tips for Del Mar Opening Day?

The biggest insider advantages on Opening Day come down to timing and reservations: arrive at gate-open, book hospitality and after-party tickets in advance, and know which upgrades are actually worth it.

Get there before the gates open. Locals know the Plaza de Mexico Hats Contest is as much a draw as the racing itself. The contest runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with winners announced after the sixth race — arrive at gate-open to snag a good vantage point before the crowds thicken.

Go big or don’t bother with the hat. This isn’t a subtle-fascinator crowd. Feathers, vibrant fascinators, flowers, and bold colors are the standard — the bigger, the better.

Know your viewing options. If you want more than standing room, the Seabiscuit Society is new for 2026 and is a ticketed party in the climate-controlled Seabiscuit Skyroom on the Grandstand’s sixth floor, with a hosted buffet, curated cocktails, and ocean views, with a portion of proceeds benefiting racehorse retirement nonprofit CARMA. The Celebrity Grill and Champions’ Terrace overlook the paddock for a similar upgrade without the price tag of full hospitality packages.

Don’t skip the new speakeasy. For a quieter moment away from the rail, the Handle Bar is a new addition for 2026 — a 1930s-inspired cocktail lounge on the fourth floor of Stretch Run, serving handcrafted cocktails including a signature hot honey bourbon drink.

If you’re going more than once, join the Diamond Club. It’s the track’s loyalty program and includes admission discounts, ticket deals, and Free & Easy Thursdays — free admission, $5 hot dogs, $5 draft beers, and $5 refillable sodas at select concessions, a favorite for locals treating the meet as a weekly summer ritual rather than a once-a-year outing.

Know there’s more than one after-party. The Rancho Valencia After Pony Party is the official Del Mar Thoroughbred Club after-party, but it’s not the only one. L’Auberge Del Mar hosts its own separate Opening Day After Party right in the village — for 2026 it’s a Palm Royale-inspired celebration on July 17 from 5 p.m. to midnight, with ocean-view cocktails, bites, and live music, and tickets and poolside cabanas available directly through the resort. It’s 21+ and a favorite for locals who want to stay walkable rather than drive inland. On-site at the track itself, The Party presented by Pacifico keeps the live music and racing energy going in the infield after the last race, for anyone who’d rather not leave the grounds at all.

Book your after-party ahead of time regardless of which one you choose. The official Del Mar Thoroughbred Club after-party takes place at Rancho Valencia Resort, with general admission tickets starting at $325 and climbing depending on add-ons. Both it and L’Auberge’s party sell out most years, so reserve early if you have a preference.

Skip the traffic, stay the night. With hotels from L’Auberge Del Mar to the Fairmont Grand Del Mar filling up for race season, plenty of locals treat Opening Day as a weekend rather than a single afternoon — dinner in the Village, a night nearby, and a slower drive home the next day.

For those who want more than a hotel room, the Jason Barry Team manages a curated portfolio of Beach Colony rentals for exactly this kind of summer. Current options include 2016 Ocean Front, a fully renovated 4-bedroom beachfront home at $100,000/month; 2211 Ocean Front, another 4-bedroom Beach Colony rental at $60,000/month; and 219 24th Street, a 2-bedroom just one block from the sand at $18,500/month — all within walking distance of the track. See the full, current list of available properties on our rentals page, since availability and pricing change with demand.

What Is the History of Del Mar Racetrack?

Del Mar Racetrack was founded by Bing Crosby and La Jolla businessman William Quigley, who formed the Del Mar Turf Club on May 6, 1936. The track opened on July 3, 1937, and 2026 marks its 87th season of racing “where the turf meets the surf.”

Del Mar’s story starts with a Hollywood crooner and a stockbroker from La Jolla. William A. Quigley, a La Jolla resident, had the idea of starting a racetrack at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and pitched it to Bing Crosby, and the two founded the Del Mar Turf Club on May 6, 1936. Crosby recruited his Hollywood friends — Pat O’Brien, Oliver Hardy, Joe E. Brown, Gary Cooper, and his own brother Everett — to build the club.

On July 3, 1937, the track opened its gates for the first time. Crosby himself stood at the turnstile in a yachting cap to personally greet the first customer, and later that day, wearing a bright blue jacket and straw boater, told the crowd he hoped everyone would “enjoy the meeting — and have a measure of success at the payoff windows.” The first race was won wire-to-wire by a horse named High Strike — owned by Crosby himself, and an opening crowd of roughly 15,000 turned out for the occasion.

A year later, Del Mar earned its place in racing lore. On August 12, 1938, the famous Seabiscuit-Ligaroti match race drew 20,000 fans to the track, and it became the first horse race broadcast nationally over the radio. Seabiscuit, ridden by George “The Iceman” Woolf carrying 130 pounds, beat Ligaroti and jockey Noel “Spec” Richardson at 115 pounds by a nose after a furious stretch duel.

The track’s signature line — “where the turf meets the surf” — comes straight from Crosby himself. He recorded the theme song “Where the Turf Meets the Surf” in 1938, and it’s still played over the loudspeaker twice on every race day: once before the first race and once after the last, as a tribute to the man who started it all. Locals will tell you a third rendition happens live around the sixth or seventh race, performed by a volunteer in his honor.

Del Mar quickly became a Hollywood playground. Stars including Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Betty Grable, George Jessel, Mickey Rooney, and Jimmy Durante were regulars at the track — Durante became such a fixture that the track eventually named its turf course, and the street leading to it, in his honor. The first Bing Crosby Handicap was run in 1946, the same year the Santa Fe Railroad began running a “racetrack special” bringing horses and bettors down from Los Angeles.

Crosby stayed connected to the track he founded for the rest of his life. He sold his club share in 1946 but continued attending races until his death, and per the club’s own history, he made one final visit to Del Mar in 1977, the same year he passed away.

Nearly nine decades later, Del Mar has grown into one of the premier racetracks in the country — a national leader in racetrack safety with industry-leading protocols for both equine and human athletes — while still running the same song over the loudspeaker that Bing Crosby recorded before the Second World War. The full decade-by-decade history is archived on the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s own history page.

What Are Some Fun Facts About Del Mar Racetrack?

• The track’s opening-day winner in 1937, High Strike, was owned by Bing Crosby himself.
• The catchphrase “Where the Turf Meets the Surf” came from a song Crosby had a hand in creating — and it’s older than Crosby’s own recording of “White Christmas.”
• Jockey Bill Shoemaker set a Del Mar record of 52 wins in 1949 as an apprentice rider — becoming the first apprentice to win the track’s riding title, a career that would later carry him to a Kentucky Derby win.
• Trainer D. Wayne Lukas made his Del Mar debut with a filly named Terlingua, who won the Del Mar Debutante — the start of one of the winningest training careers in racing history.
• Del Mar is one of the most affordable big days out in San Diego, with general admission still starting at $10 despite the caliber of racing on the card.
• 2026 marks the track’s 87th season — nearly nine decades of racing at the same seaside oval Crosby and his Hollywood friends built.

A Local’s Guide to the Rest of the Day

Part of what makes Opening Day special is everything around it. Del Mar Village is walkable from the track, with boutiques, galleries, and an Old Hollywood feel that’s easy to spend an afternoon in before or after the races. Post-race crowds tend to migrate toward the Village’s restaurants and bars, and reservations for the evening fill quickly on Opening Day weekend.

For those considering more than a visit — buyers drawn to the lifestyle a summer at Del Mar represents — the track sits at the heart of what makes this stretch of the San Diego coast so sought-after. Just inland, Rancho Santa Fe offers the estate acreage and equestrian properties that pair naturally with a Del Mar summer, while Del Mar’s own Beach Colony puts the sand, the Village, and the finish line all within a few minutes of home.

If you’re weighing a coastal address against an inland estate, our Del Mar vs. Rancho Santa Fe guide breaks down the lifestyle, price, and privacy differences between the two, and our complete guide to living in Rancho Santa Fe covers neighborhoods, schools, and what to expect as a buyer. For a deeper look at how Del Mar’s racing heritage shapes its real estate identity, see our piece on why buyers fall in love with Del Mar.

Considering a move to this stretch of the coast, whether that’s Del Mar, La Jolla, or Rancho Santa Fe? Reach out to the Jason Barry Team for a confidential conversation about what’s available this summer.

FAQ: Del Mar Opening Day 2026

When is Del Mar Opening Day 2026? Opening Day is Friday, July 17, 2026. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and the first race goes off at 2 p.m.

When does the Del Mar racing season end in 2026? The season runs through Labor Day, Monday, September 7.

What days does Del Mar race? Horses are on the track Thursdays through Sundays throughout the meet, with select adjustments on closing weekend.

What time do gates open on Opening Day? Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and races start at 2 p.m.

How much are tickets to Del Mar? General admission starts at $10, with premium and trackside options available at higher price points through dmtc.com/tickets.

What is the Pacific Classic and when is it in 2026? The Pacific Classic is a $1 million race, the top-purse event in West Coast racing, run this year on Saturday, August 22 rather than its traditional Labor Day weekend slot.

Why is Del Mar called “Where the Turf Meets the Surf”? The phrase comes from a song recorded by the track’s founder, Bing Crosby, in 1938, and it’s still played over the loudspeaker before the first and after the last race of every raceday.

Who founded Del Mar Racetrack? Bing Crosby and La Jolla businessman William Quigley founded the Del Mar Turf Club in 1936, and the track opened on July 3, 1937.

What should I wear to Del Mar Opening Day? Opening Day leans dressy and festive — sundresses, suits, and statement hats are the norm, especially for anyone entering the Plaza de Mexico Hats Contest, which runs 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where should I stay near Del Mar Racetrack? Nearby options include L’Auberge Del Mar and the Hilton San Diego/Del Mar within a few minutes of the track, and Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa about 15 minutes inland in Rancho Santa Fe, which also hosts the official Opening Day after-party.

Is Rancho Valencia the only Del Mar Opening Day after-party? No. Rancho Valencia Resort hosts the official Del Mar Thoroughbred Club after-party, but L’Auberge Del Mar also hosts its own separate, village-based Opening Day After Party the same evening, and an on-site party continues at the track itself after the last race.

Can I rent a home in the Del Mar Beach Colony for race season? Yes. The Jason Barry Team manages a portfolio of Beach Colony rentals, with current monthly rates ranging from $18,500 for a 2-bedroom home a block from the sand to $100,000 for larger 4-bedroom oceanfront properties. Availability and pricing change regularly, so check the current listings on the rentals page.