Del Mar Racing Season 2026

“Here's the play: you, a linen suit you've no business…”

Where the turf meets the surf - that is the Del Mar promise, and on a clear day you can see the Pacific breakers from the grandstand while the horses come around. The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club opens its 2026 summer racing season in mid-July at a seaside course that has been running thoroughbred racing since 1937, co-founded by Bing Crosby, and the combination of oceanfront location, the specific culture of California horse racing, and the compressed five-week season makes it one of the most atmospheric racing experiences anywhere. The turf course is one of the finest turf surfaces in the United States, and the summer meet traditionally draws strong fields from California-based stables as well as shippers targeting the Pacific Classic, one of the richest turf stakes races on the West Coast calendar. The grandstand culture spans the full range of California racing fandom - serious handicappers in the clubhouse, families in the infield with picnic blankets, the Friday racing-and-fashion crowd, and the Saturday headliner concert events that bring an entirely different audience to the same grounds after the racing card. Bettor-friendly simulcast wagering on races from across the country runs alongside the live card. Del Mar is at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, accessible from the I-5 at Via de la Valle, and the Coaster commuter rail stops adjacent to the track, with parking on-site. General admission is inexpensive; clubhouse and turf club upgrades are available. The season runs mid-July through Labor Day.