Del Mar Summer Meet — Opening Day 2026

You found this. Be the first one here.

July 17, 2026: Opening Day at Del Mar, and there is nothing in Southern California sports quite like it. The summer meet of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club opens on the third Friday of July with a tradition running since Bing Crosby and Pat O'Brien opened the gates in 1937 — and Opening Day is as much fashion show as horse race, a gathering that dresses up more completely than any other day on San Diego County's sports calendar. The Pacific Ocean is visible from the upper grandstand. The stretch run comes toward you from the far turn in a way no other racetrack geometry quite replicates. Del Mar's 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 afternoon become its own thing. 'Where the surf meets the turf' is not a marketing line. Standing in the grandstand with the ocean two miles to the west, you understand why they built it here. Del Mar Opening Day is a community event as much as a racing event — a social gathering where groups coordinate outfits, book tables in the Turf Club months in advance, and treat the entire day as a summer ritual. The crowd on Opening Day includes serious horseplayers in the clubhouse, fashion-forward groups in the infield, and families making their annual pilgrimage to the track. 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.