A Day at the Races - Del Mar Racetrack

Join us for a full day of excitement and watching the horse races “where the turf meets the surf” at the iconic Del Mar Racetrack.

We will be sitting in Stretch Run Seats on Level 3, Section 4, Rows 11 & 12, Seats 12 -15. These seats will be in the shade and near the finish line. You can purchase a ticket online at https://www.dmtc.com/tickets/detail/summer-race-day-tickets
or call the box office at 858-792-4242 and have them help you purchase tickets in this section near these seats. You can provide the section/seat numbers and my name Karen Bewley, and they will find you the closest seat next to these. The box office is open M-F 9-5. Tickets are $24.

Put in the comments where you purchase your seat.

You don't have to know a lot about horse racing or bet big dollars, but making some small bets makes it a lot of fun. Bring cash to place your bets. You can not use credit card, but they do have ATM machines.

Here is a guide on how to place a wager:
https://www.dmtc.com/handicapping/how-to-wager

Some betting advice I was given the first time I went to the racetrack was from one of our group's founders Diane. We were looking at the horses, and she said look for the horses that take a dump. Those horses will be carrying a "lighter load" and those are the ones we want to bet on. I still laugh when I think of this! 😂

There are various food options at the track or bring your own. You are allowed to bring a small cooler that fits under your seat, non-alcoholic beverages, and food. Check out the website for what's allowed https://www.dmtc.com/tickets/rules

Since the racetrack is near the ocean, we recommend bringing a sweater or jacket as we are sitting in a shaded section and the weather cools down in the evening.

TRAVELING BY TRAIN: Since getting there is half the fun, avoid the hassle of the 5 freeway and join us on the train for a true adventure. The Pacific Surfliner on AMTRAK stops at the nearby Solana Beach station and Del Mar provides complimentary shuttle service to and from the track. We’ll disembark at the Solana Beach station and take the free buses to the track. Round trip train fare will depend on your departure station (Example: $24 for Coach and $35 for Business Class each way from Anaheim).

You may bring your own food and drinks (excluding alcohol) on the train. There is also a Cafe on board.

We’ll take the Pacific Surfliner #770 arriving at Solana Beach at 12:22p.m.
See photo for departure times at various train stations. You can depart from Fullerton, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, San Juan Capistrano or San Clemente stations. Currently we have ladies leaving from the Anaheim, Irvine, and SJC stations so come join the fun!

We’ll depart Solana Beach on the Pacific Surfliner #591 leaving at 7:40 pm. If you prefer to leave earlier, Pacific Surfliner #587 departs at 5:40 pm. See photos for return arrival times at the various stations.

The box office suggested taking the 7:40 train so we are not rushed to leave and catch the earlier train. If we find we want to leave the track earlier than the last race time, it was suggested we can take a short uber ride to Del Mar where there are many restaurants, bars, as well as the beach. We can hang out there, have dinner, walk on the beach, etc. and take a short uber ride to the train station closer to departure.

The Pacific Surfliner offers unreserved coach seating, which provides maximum flexibility when deciding on your travel times. Unreserved coach tickets allow you to take an earlier or later train, or even ride at a later date, without having to make a change to the reservation.
Seating in coach class on unreserved trains is not guaranteed. You may have to stand part of the way until seats become available.

You can upgrade to Business Class (for an additional cost), which offers a guaranteed seat, as well as other perks like complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic drinks.
Business Class tickets are linked to specific trains/buses, so you will need to modify your reservation (at no cost) in advance if your want to change your trip times. Note that Business Class provides guaranteed seating but seats are not assigned in advance.

We would recommend buying a Business Class ticket for the return train as it is often busy so it's best to have a guaranteed seat. Business Class tickets do sell out so it's best to buy your ticket as soon as possible. A coach ticket for the train on the way there should be fine so you can save some $ and get a coach ticket for the train on the way there.

Train tickets can be purchased HERE
Try using V282 Promo Code for 15% off for seniors age 62 and older.

Type in your nearest station, choose arrival in Solana Beach, click on ‘find trains’ and look for #770. This will provide you with your departure time. For the return, select #591 from Solana Beach to your destination.

We'll text each other and update the Meetup page after we board with the car number so we can sit together. There are specific cars for business class ticket holders.

TRAVELING BY CAR: Parking at Del Mar is $15 per car for self-park and $35 for valet, payable by cash or credit card but be aware of the traffic. You have to leave much earlier than expected to get there on time.

SCHEDULE
12:22 p.m. Arrive Solana Beach Station
Take Shuttle from Station to Del Mar
Arrive Del Mar
2:00 p.m. First Race
6:30 - 7:00 p.m. Last Race
Take Shuttle from Del Mar to Solana Beach Station
7:40 p.m. Depart Solana Beach Station (or 5:40 if take the earlier train)

Races are approximately 30 minutes apart. You have time in between to place bets, walk around, get food/drink and can watch the races from the many screens around the racetrack if not from your seat.

NO SHOW POLICY:

Members who RSVP "Yes" for an event need to change their RSVP to "No" if their plans change and they cannot attend the event at least 48 hours in advance. If you need to cancel within less than 24 hours, please contact the host with an explanation.
***Member who has 3 no shows, cancel on the same day, or "no show" without an explanation will be removed from the group. ***
Thank you for understanding.
As always... COVID DISCLAIMER: Please do NOT join us if you are NOT feeling 100% well or have any COVID symptoms or are UNCOMFORTABLE with a group setting. We will be following Covid guidelines. Come at your own risk, be responsible for yourself and others.
DISCLAIMER: Group organizer and assistant organizers assume no liability. By being a member of this group you hereby agree to assume all risks and liability related to or resulting from any group functions. By joining you take full responsibility for your own safety. Please ensure that you are in good health before participating and understand that there is risk involved in your participation. You agree that neither you nor any third party will hold any of the group's leaders, officers, or representatives liable for any injury, loss, or damage to your own person or any members of your family, friends, acquaintances, children, pets, or property, arising directly or as a consequence from a group activity. You also agree that your membership of this group is based on an "at will" basis.