Horse Cents

Anyone involved in thoroughbred racing circles will admit that there’s no “sure thing” in this high-stakes horse industry. But when it comes to the world-famous Del Mar Racetrack, the local seaside venue is a hands-down favorite to produce its annual blockbuster race meeting with record-breaking pari-mutuel handle (money bet) and on-track attendance.

And once again, as the local track hosts its 66th year of summer racing, all signs point to a banner season at Del Mar and a big payoff for local businesses.

“The horse racing event is a vital contributor to the local economy while bringing entertainment pleasure to nearly a million fans,” says Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC) president and general manager, Joe Harper. He says everything is right on track for another exhilarating horse racing season, which runs daily, except Tuesdays, through September 7 at the famed racetrack. “Of course we’re looking to match or top last year’s record highs, but our primary goal is to host one of the biggest parties on the West Coast — for 43 days,” says Harper, noting that total on-track handle in 2004 was a hefty $102,242,996, with a final attendance tally at 733,237.

As a Del Mar resident, Harper knows first hand that the racetrack, with an average daily attendance of 17,052, lands a powerful punch on this tiny, upscale town of 5,000 residents. “It’s long been our philosophy to give back to the communities we have an effect on, whenever and wherever possible,” says the 62-year-old horseman.

Harper says the DMTC is proud of its positive track record of providing financial and social benefits to surrounding communities, as well as many nonprofit organizations.

Last year, Harper says the racetrack paid $6.5 million in fees to the state, and the City of Del Mar received tax revenues totaling $337,401. “The numbers are probably even more impressive given the fact they don’t include the economic impact of racing on local tourism and hospitality,” he says.

According to Del Mar’s city manager, Lauraine Brekke-Esparza, “We know that during the races Del Mar is very lively. Hotels are full, restaurants overflow, and the racetrack has a positive economic impact on the community.”

Since its inception in 1970, the DMTC has poured more than $521 million into the coffers of local and state governments, dozens of charitable organizations, and equine research. According to racetrack officials, over the 34 years Del Mar has paid $337.6 million in fees to the state, $124 million to the San Diego County

Fairgrounds, $35.1 million for equine research at the University of California at Davis, and another $6.3 to various charities. A sampling of these organizations includes United Way of San Diego, Children’s Hospital of San Diego, San Diego Hospice, Canine Companions for Independence, Helen Woodward Animal Center, Girl Scouts, and the Del Mar Library.

The track also provides 3,300 jobs during the summer, with a payroll of $17 million. Including owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers, Harper estimates that more than 5,000 individuals are involved in producing the summer races.

Entering his 27th year of employment with the track, Harper has served on the boards of San Dieguito Boys and Girls Club and Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA, in addition to various horseracing and equine groups. “It is important to quantify the economic and social contribution that this industry makes,” says Harper. “As the leadership in city and state governments looks for ways to generate additional revenue, the contributions of horseracing should be taken into account.”

Most local businesses say the annual 43-day horserace meeting is like hitting a jackpot — with people pumping their track winnings into boutiques, restaurants, bars, and hotels. “The racetrack absolutely has a significant influence on business,” says Nancy Wasko, executive director of the Del Mar Regional Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center. “I consistently hear that local merchants look forward to the racing season.” For example, she says Moto Photo in nearby Carmel Valley reports an increase in traffic at its retail store due to the influx of tourists — many snapping photos of the parade of people and horses at the track — during the summer months. She says other members, ranging from hotels and restaurants, experience fully booked reservations during the racing season.

“The racing season in Del Mar has a positive impact on our resort and spa,” says Michael J. Slosser, general manager of L’Auberge, a four-diamond boutique property. “We probably see a 20 percent improvement attributable to the races and influx of visitors to the Del Mar area.” This flock of race fans also boosts business by ten percent or more at the hotel’s other operations, including The Spa at L’Auberge, J. Taylor’s Restaurant, and Durante’s Pub. “L’Auberge is the hotel of choice for jockeys, horse owners, Hollywood elite, and racing fans — many who’ve returned here year after year for 17 years straight,” says Slosser.

Roberto Forte, manager of Il Fornaio Restaurant in the village, agrees the thoroughbred races “bring many new faces and tons of high rollers” to his popular eatery atop the Del Mar Plaza. “The races pump a lot of money into the local economy,” says Forte. “The track has put Del Mar on the map and if the races ever stopped, it would be disastrous for restaurants, hotels, and shop owners.”

While Hollywood Park could be seeing its final days, the Del Mar Racetrack thrives as one of the most popular tracks in the country. If racing ceased to occur in Del Mar, Wasko agrees it would not bode well for the local economy. “Our city receives revenue from the racetrack, not to mention the residual increase in local business revenue. Besides,” she adds, “the racing season is a tradition with much of Del Mar’s history — and the region’s tourism marketing campaign — tied to the racetrack.”

Few horseracing events have a richer legacy or more glamorous history than Del Mar’s annual racing season. It’s movie-star beginnings are well known in horse circles and chronicled in local history books. Back in 1937, Bing Crosby and a gang of his Hollywood cronies, including Jimmy Durante and Pat O’Brien, put together “a little racetrack on a dirt parcel by the ocean with make-shift stands overlooking the sand.”

Throughout the ’40s and ’50s, it was a playground for a host of Hollywood icons — a nice place to bet on the ponies during the day and party at night. Among the many luminaries who’d spend long hours at the Del Mar Racetrack were Dorothy Lamour, W.C. Fields, Paulette Goddard, Edgar Bergen, Ann Miller, Don Ameche, Ava Gardner, Red Skelton, Bing Crosby, Desi Arnaz, and Lucille Ball.

Officially known as the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, this charming horseracing haven has alternately been dubbed the racetrack “Where the Turf Meets the Surf” and “Heaven by the Pacific.” Whatever it is called, for seven weeks each summer, Del Mar serves up its famous mix of world-class horseracing, trendy trackside entertainment, and sun-splashed special events that attract headline-making celebrities and regular fun-seekers alike.

This year is no exception, and an amazing array of festivals, concerts and infield happenings will make every day at the Del Mar races an unforgettable event. Del Mar runs its richest race, the $1 million Pacific Classic, on Sunday, August 21. This signature event, renowned for drawing a field of the nation’s top thoroughbreds and one of the season’s largest crowds, is broadcast live on ESPN.

Racing at Del Mar is held daily except Tuesdays, with post times at 2pm. Free concerts — featuring bands such as Blues Traveler and Violent Femmes — are held every Friday as part of the Four O’Clock Friday Concert Series. (888/755-1141 or www.delmarracing.com.) — Jill Esterbrooks