At Del Mar, the races weren’t the only thing worth watching.
Del Mar Racetrack has long been known for horse racing, but from its earliest days, its identity was shaped just as much by who filled the grandstands as by what happened on the track. During Hollywood’s Golden Age, the seaside venue became a seasonal gathering place where film stars, comedians, and public figures mixed naturally with racing fans just steps from the Pacific Ocean.
The track opened in 1937 with strong ties to the entertainment world. Bing Crosby was one of the key figures involved in its founding, working alongside a group of business and Hollywood-connected partners to establish a racetrack that combined sport, social life, and Southern California’s coastal setting. From the beginning, Del Mar welcomed the general public rather than functioning as a private club, and that accessibility helped shape its character.
Much of what is known about those early years comes from the San Diego History Center’s photographic collections, particularly the Joseph M. F. Haase Collection (C058), which documents race days and the people who gathered there. The collection preserves the original photograph captions and catalog records that identify many of the celebrities and public figures associated with Del Mar’s Hollywood era.
Among those identified in Del Mar-related photographic records and archival materials are Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, George Burns and Gracie Allen, George Raft, Ginger Rogers, Jimmy Durante, Oliver Hardy, Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Taylor, Jack Haley, and Louella Parsons.
These identifications come from a combination of photograph captions and catalog descriptions preserved within the San Diego History Center’s Del Mar Racetrack holdings.
Top row, far left: gossip columnist Louella Parsons and actor George Raft. Middle actors Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor, 1937, and far right, ‘Wizard of Oz’ tinman, Jack Haley, 1937. Bottom row, left: Ginger Rogers and Jimmy Durante, 1939. Middle actor Oliver Hardy, 1941, and far right, comedy duo Gracie Allen and George Burns, 1941. (Photos and captions info courtesy of the San Diego History Center)Other well-known entertainment figures, including Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Fred Astaire, and Tom Mix, appear in archival indexing and retrospective documentation connected to Del Mar’s early racing culture, reflecting the broader Hollywood presence at the track during its peak social years.
Bing Crosby remains the figure most closely associated with Del Mar. As one of the track’s founders and a frequent visitor, he appears throughout the photographic record and helped establish traditions that continue today, including the enduring phrase, “Where the Turf Meets the Surf.”
Actor and founding member of the Del Mar Track Bing Crosby, Del Mar, 1938. (Photo and caption info courtesy of the San Diego History Center)The collection also documents visitors outside the entertainment world, including politician Barry Goldwater, illustrating how Del Mar attracted political leaders as well as Hollywood celebrities during its peak social years.
What the photographs make clear is how unforced it all was. These were not tightly controlled publicity appearances. Actors are shown leaning on railings, talking with friends, watching races between bets, and blending into the scene.
View of politician Barry Goldwater, wife Mary Johnson, and Mrs. R. P. Johnson seated at a table with a checkered tablecloth outside at Del Mar Race Track in Del Mar in 1941. (Photo and caption info courtesy of the San Diego History Center)That atmosphere helped define Del Mar’s reputation. It functioned less like a staged event and more like a shared seasonal ritual. Film stars might be seated near local families, studio executives alongside casual bettors. The usual boundaries between celebrity and audience often disappeared in the rhythm of the races.
Over time, Del Mar became more than a racetrack. It became a recurring social space where Hollywood briefly stepped away from film sets and public image-making. The combination of sport, ocean air, and Southern California ease turned it into a summer tradition that extended well beyond racing itself.
Crosby’s influence remained central to that identity. His role in establishing the track and his continued association with it helped anchor Del Mar’s connection to Hollywood history, while the opening-day tradition he helped establish endures today.
Desi Arnaz at the Del Mar Race Track in 1957. (Photo and caption info courtesy of the San Diego History Center)Looking through the San Diego History Center’s Del Mar photographs today, what stands out is not spectacle but normalcy. Hollywood didn’t arrive as a performance. It simply became part of the crowd, one summer afternoon at a time.
Read more history stories here. Do you have a story to tell? Send an email to DebbieSklar@cox.net.
Sources:
San Diego History Center – Joseph M. F. Haase Collection (C058), Del Mar Racetrack PhotographsSan Diego History Center – Del Mar Racetrack Photograph Collection (catalog records and captions)Del Mar Thoroughbred Club – History of Del Mar Racetrack and Bing Crosby’s founding role
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