Del Mar race track has been called “The house that Bing Built,” because of its ties to that legendary horse fancier, Bing Crosby. Known for the cooling breezes from the ocean and the laid back lifestyle of summer in Southern California, handicappers are often lulled into a false sense of security.
If you are going to do any horse racing handicapping there I think it is fair to warn you that the laid back atmosphere and warm fuzzy feeling that many patrons get there quickly fade if they bet on favorites. Like Saratoga in the East, the race track by the sea is known as, “the graveyard of favorites.”
Some people blame the surface of the track for the disappointing performance of so many favorites. It has been suggested that the ocean somehow undermines it and adds moisture to it from below. Why that wouldn’t affect all horses racing on it, and not just the favorites, has never been explained.
I think the reason for the seemingly unpredictable nature of it has more to do with shippers, horses coming from other race tracks or even other parts of the world. There are just too many variables to take into consideration. For that reason I have a few rules, call them caveats, for betting on the ponies at Del Mar. First of all, never take a short price.
I usually won’t take anything less than 2-1, but when I am betting on horses there, I raise it to 7-2. Experience has taught me that anything less will mean a loss at the end of the meet. If you can survive on less, my hat is off to you. Secondly, be cautious in your approach and take a “show me,” attitude. Try to keep most of your bets on horses, jockeys, and trainers who have proven themselves capable of winning there.
Finally, my advice is, if you can possibly make it to Del Mar, visit that historic track and enjoy the ambiance. An afternoon spent by the sea watching beautiful thoroughbreds is well worth the trip.