Zentralbibliothek Luzern Knowledge Management

Twenty-four three year old thoroughbreds stand inside the starting gate. Suddenly, the bell rings and they are off and running! Viewers move to the edge of their seats in anticipation of their chosen horse winning the Melbourne Cup. Nothing is more exciting than watching Australia’s major thoroughbred race.

Horse racing is one of the most ancient sports known to mankind. The history of horse racing shows that domesticated horses were raced by primeval inhabitants of Central Asia as long ago as 4500BC. Today, the ‘sport of kings’ is avidly supported because it is basically a legalized form of gambling.

Southern California’s Del Mar Racetrack has been somewhat forgotten by the general public in recent years, overshadowed by East Coast venues like Churchill Downs and Belmont Park. The reality is that the 72 year old track has a history to rival their better known counterparts. Operated by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and located 20 miles North of San Diego, its perhaps most famous for its iconic slogan “Where The Surf Meets the Turf” but that only scratches the surface of its star studded history.