Opened in July 1937 and founded by actors Bing Crosby and Pat O'Brien, Del Mar has been the scene of many great races.
Perhaps the most famous race was the $25,000 winner-take-all match race between Seabiscuit and Ligaroti. Horseracing was very popular at this time, second only to baseball, and this race generated much excitement throughout the nation. Seabiscuit with George Woolf on board won by a nose.
This racetrack was a favorite haunt of Hollywood starts in the 1930's and 1940's.
Del Mar was one of the first racetracks to install Polytrack. The cost was $9,000,000.