Del Mar Summer Meet — Opening Day 2026

There is nothing in Southern California sports quite like standing in the upper grandstand with the Pacific Ocean two miles to the west and understanding, finally, why they built a racetrack right here. July 17, 2026 is Opening Day at Del Mar - the summer meet of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, opening on the third Friday of July with a tradition running since Bing Crosby and Pat O'Brien threw the gates open in 1937. Opening Day is as much fashion show as horse race, the day San Diego County dresses up more completely than any other on the sports calendar. The stretch run comes toward you from the far turn in a way no other racetrack geometry quite replicates. First post is 2pm and the feature races run through late afternoon - bring cash for the mutuel windows, find a spot in the infield or claim a picnic table on the apron, and let the day become its own thing. 'Where the surf meets the turf' is not a marketing line. This is a community event as much as a racing event: groups coordinate outfits, book Turf Club tables months in advance, and treat the whole day as a summer ritual, the crowd running from serious horseplayers in the clubhouse to fashion-forward groups in the infield to families making their annual pilgrimage. 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd in Del Mar. No Coaster service on this date - drive and park on-site or use the shuttle from nearby lots. Arrive early for Opening Day ceremony programming. General admission available; reserved seating and Turf Club access require advance booking.