Surf, turf a great diet at Del Mar

Blue skies blanket the racetrack on almost every summer afternoon. The surrounding hills are covered in green, and right around the corner is the Pacific Ocean to help set a near-perfect scene.

The beach, the sunshine and the view of San Diego to the south combine to make the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club the heartbeat of horse racing on the West Coast.

From mid-July to early September, the track with the slogan "Cool as ever" is a hot spot for serious gamblers, casual partyers and anyone in search of a good time.

"There's that feeling you get at Del Mar that you don't get at any other track," said Tom Quigley, owner and publisher of The HorsePlayer Magazine. "Every day becomes an event.

"With the racetrack being right there on the beach, there's no atmosphere that resonates the human spirit as much as Del Mar. It's kind of like a perfect storm."

Only it never rains at Del Mar. And temperatures are usually in the 70s and 80s where the turf meets the surf.

The track opened again Wednesday, the first of 43 days of racing. A crowd of 43,459 filed through the gates, the second-largest figure in Del Mar history.

Every summer, Del Mar becomes an escape for many in Las Vegas, and it's not a requirement to be an expert on horse racing.

Jerry Tarkanian is a regular at the races. The former UNLV basketball coach does not read a racing form, but he makes Del Mar his summer home. He hangs out in the Turf Club and occasionally stops by a betting window.

"You can't beat the weather at Del Mar," Tarkanian said. "I go there to socialize. I bet the horses a little bit. I've got guys who are supposed to be professionals and they give me tips, and I still lose, but I don't lose much."

Quigley is a professional. He grew up in Chicago, found Arlington Park as a kid and learned to study the horses. "I fell in love with the beauty of the game," he said.

Fourteen years ago, Quigley started The HorsePlayer Magazine. He lives in Pasadena, Calif., drives down Interstate 5 to San Diego and rarely misses a day at Del Mar.

He talks about "the mystique and the magic" of the place.

Near the paddock is a spot called "Quigley's Corner." It's where Quigley and several friends -- including Bill Hoge, a frequent player at the Las Vegas Hilton race book -- gather around buckets of Corona beer, study the body language of horses and handicap races.

"I can't think of anywhere else I would want to be during the Del Mar meet than the San Diego area," Hoge said.

Terry Lanni, chairman and CEO of MGM Mirage and a horse owner, can be spotted in the paddock, the epicenter of the playground for the rich and famous. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer was there last summer.

As much as anything, it's about the scene and, as Quigley said, the "hot chicks." Del Mar is a magnet for beautiful girls, and on most Friday and Saturday nights, the track hosts concerts that attract a young crowd.

This season's concert schedule includes Gavin Rossdale, Gnarls Barkley and a Reggae Fest featuring Ziggy Marley.

"Del Mar is in tune with how to make the place hip," Quigley said, "and no one else in the racing industry has figured that out."

There is ongoing debate among race fans about which track is better: Del Mar or Saratoga in New York? Saratoga opens next week.

"I've been to both of them a bunch of times. So different but so popular," said John Avello, Wynn Las Vegas race and sports book director. "If I'm looking at pure racing, Saratoga does better quality racing overall.

"If Del Mar wasn't on the ocean, I'm not sure how popular it would be. The ocean makes a big difference. When you leave the track, it's usually sunset time, and it's a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean and the surroundings."

Del Mar has its detractors, Avello and Quigley agree, because the Polytrack racing surface installed last year confounded handicappers, and the quality of California racing is going downhill.

After the races, and the concerts, the best spot to be is The Brigantine, a trendy restaurant-bar that sits atop a hill overlooking the north end of the Del Mar track.

"Saratoga is a celebration of the horse," Quigley said. "When you get to Del Mar, it's completely different; it's a celebration of the human spirit. The people come not so much for the racing, they come for the atmosphere and scenery."

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.