Timeout with Tambo: Too many hats, too many people at Opening Day at Del Mar track
Opening Day is an experience and a happening, but it is not a typical day at Del Mar. Too many hats. Women in California don’t wear hats. Men in California don’t wear those kind of hats. Too many people. Not enough seats. Too difficult to place a bet.
Del Mar is unique. It is the most beautiful and most beautifully located racetrack in the world. It is literally where the
Surf meets the Turf at old Del Mar
- The weather is always great. It is clean. It is a lot of fun.
I truly believe that it is the best sport entertainment bargain in Southern California. It is major league. Hall of Fame horses, jockeys, and trainers make Del Mar their summer home. Admission is cheaper than most high school football games if you get a Diamond Club Card, which is free and is available before you buy a ticket. A program is free with the price of admission. Every program has the winners of every race. You just have to pick ‘em.
Don’t go to Del Mar hoping to make enough money to buy a new house and don’t take enough money that could cost you your present house. Don’t think of betting at the races as an investment. It is entertainment.
Take the same amount of money that it would cost you to go to dinner and the movies or a Chargers or Padres game. Actually $25 will get you in and give you enough money to bet on every race if you are a $2 bettor.
If you have a family, you have options on how to entertain the kids. The infield has a playground for kids. There is Camp Del Mar. For $24 kids between the ages of 5-12 can go to a day camp that includes: games, video games, crafts, miniature golf, hippity hop races on the main track at Del Mar, and many more supervised activities. If you take the kids to Camp Del Mar once, they will want to go every time you go to the races with them.
You will be entertained by some of the best thoroughbred horses in the world and by one of the best jockey colonies in the world. The winningest jockeys in history have all called Del Mar their home during the summer.
You will be involved in the action. If you have ever been to a Chargers game and been caught up in the action of a two-minute drill or have been to a Padres game and experienced a ninth-inning rally, then imagine that excitement in every race. If you
have action (a $2 bet) on a race, you will experience that excitement every time the horses round the turn and head into the stretch.
When one goes to a Chargers or Padres game and spends $100, one doesn’t say I lost a hundred dollars even if the home team loses. And no matter how exciting the game is you will walk away with $100 less.
Here are some payoffs that have been made where the surf meets the surf on two dollar bets. The biggest $2 win ticket paid $263.40, the place ticket on the same horse paid $101.60, and the show dough was $40.20. The highest payout for a $2 daily double was $5,299.30. The record for a $2 exacta was $2,383. The biggest quinella paid $1,374.
Now the biggies! The record $2 payout for a $2 Pick Six was $2,100,017 (yes, that’s two million). A $2 consolation Pick Six (five out of six winners) paid $218,977.40.
There are $1 bets that can be made. These are the biggest payoffs for $1 bets: Pick Three $29080.30, Trifecta $33,461.10, Pick Four $200,000.70, Superfecta $133,013.40, Super High Five $437,893.40, Place all $43,602.40.
There is a 10-cent bet and the biggest payoff for a 10-cent wager was $25,536 for a Superfecta. These payoffs don’t happen every day. The records took 75 years to make.
If you want to enjoy a relaxing day at the races, go on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. There are seldom crowds and there is plenty of free seating, much of which is in the shade if you want to avoid the sun. Saturdays and Sundays are more crowded, and seating might not be available.
If you don’t want to lose any money and you don’t like crowds, go on Monday (except Labor Day) or Tuesday. The track is closed.
There are seminars on handicapping and wagering every day, and the program explains the wagering.
have action (a $2 bet) on a race, you will experience that excitement every time the horses round the turn and head into the stretch.
When one goes to a Chargers or Padres game and spends $100, one doesn’t say I lost a hundred dollars even if the home team loses. And no matter how exciting the game is you will walk away with $100 less.
Here are some payoffs that have been made where the surf meets the surf on two dollar bets. The biggest $2 win ticket paid $263.40, the place ticket on the same horse paid $101.60, and the show dough was $40.20. The highest payout for a $2 daily double was $5,299.30. The record for a $2 exacta was $2,383. The biggest quinella paid $1,374.
Now the biggies! The record $2 payout for a $2 Pick Six was $2,100,017 (yes, that’s two million). A $2 consolation Pick Six (five out of six winners) paid $218,977.40.
There are $1 bets that can be made. These are the biggest payoffs for $1 bets: Pick Three $29080.30, Trifecta $33,461.10, Pick Four $200,000.70, Superfecta $133,013.40, Super High Five $437,893.40, Place all $43,602.40.
There is a 10-cent bet and the biggest payoff for a 10-cent wager was $25,536 for a Superfecta. These payoffs don’t happen every day. The records took 75 years to make.
If you want to enjoy a relaxing day at the races, go on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. There are seldom crowds and there is plenty of free seating, much of which is in the shade if you want to avoid the sun. Saturdays and Sundays are more crowded, and seating might not be available.
If you don’t want to lose any money and you don’t like crowds, go on Monday (except Labor Day) or Tuesday. The track is closed.
There are seminars on handicapping and wagering every day, and the program explains the wagering.