From surf to turf, Del Mar, Saratoga set bar high in summer

This is a special time of year for horseplayers when Del Mar and Saratoga are racing. Del Mar opened Wednesday with a record crowd of 47,339 on hand. Saratoga opens today and is the only track popular enough to still run six days a week.

These tracks epitomize what a boutique race meet stands for. They are short meets packed with racing action, a daily buzz in the crowd and a postrace nightlife you can't get anyplace else.

Del Mar opened 75 years ago when Bing Crosby and friends built a beautiful track on the shore of the Pacific Ocean north of San Diego. I call Del Mar "Las Vegas South" because so many locals escape the heat here while enjoying the festivities there.

Saratoga has more history on its side, opening in 1863 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Its old-school wooden grandstand and clubhouse give horseplayers the same vibe baseball fans get about Fenway Park or Wrigley Field.

I went to Saratoga last summer for the first time in many years. The park area behind the stands has been greatly expanded and enhanced, allowing crowds of 70,000 or more room to roam in reasonable comfort.

Gambling-wise, I give a slight edge to Saratoga. Because horse owners on both coasts place a premium on winning races during these meets, the fields are typically deep and contentious. Plus, the purse structures at Del Mar and Saratoga are the best in Southern California and New York.

One caveat for Saratoga is the weather. Summer thunderstorms can strike at any time, turning an excellent card of turf racing into short fields on a sloppy oval. Even having main track-only horses draw into these off-the-turf races can't repair the damage done by Mother Nature.

You never have that problem at Del Mar, where each day is picture-postcard perfect. The quality of the racing is not as strong as at Saratoga, but making money in horse race betting is usually tied to picking your spots correctly.

The most interesting aspect of the summer racing at Del Mar and Saratoga is seeing the talented 2-year-olds begin their careers. Last year, for example, fans at both tracks had a chance to see Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another. The Doug O'Neill-trained colt ran second in the Best Pal at Del Mar and then hated the slop in an out-of-the-money finish in the Hopeful at the Spa. He never lost another race.

Regardless, keep watching because you might just see the next great Triple Crown horse right before your eyes.

■ SUMMER CLASSIC - The three-day Gold Coast Summer Classic handicapping tournament starts Thursday. Entry fee is $400. The carrot is the top five finishers will earn a free berth into the 2013 Horseplayer World Series.

Richard Eng's horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @richeng4propick.