En-route to Los Angeles to host
clients at the 2016 Breeders' Cup, the Horse Racing Abroad team
visited San Diego to view the hotels and Racetrack for 2017, when
Del Mar will host the Breeders' Cup for the first time. The
strapline for Del Mar Racetrack, 'where the turf meets the surf',
sums up the location perfectly and Downtown San Diego is only 30
minutes away. Del Mar Racetrack, built in 1937 by a partnership
including Bing Crosby, Gary Cooper and Oliver Hardy, quickly became
a summer playground of Hollywood stars during the 1940's. The track
famously played host to the match-race between Seabiscuit and
Ligaroti in 1938.

Downtown San Diego has a vibrant
evening atmosphere which, combined with the beautiful beaches
overlooking the Pacific, just oozes Southern Californian charm. If
exploring is more your thing you won't be bored: why not try a
Trolley Tour around the Old Town or take a stroll around the
museums within Balboa Park? Of course no visit would be complete
without taking a trip to the USS Midway Museum to learn about the
rich naval heritage of the city. Then there's always San
Diego Zoo and SeaWorld San Diego.
On the hunt for suitable hotels in
San Diego, we visited the Manchester Grand Hyatt, which overlooks
the marina and sea, and has access along a boardwalk to the Seaport
Village, full of bars and restaurants. When Downtown, we viewed the
US Grant, an iconic and palatial hotel in San Diego since it's
construction in 1910 that is conveniently situated in in the city's
historic Gaslamp Quarter. Finally, we visited the Hotel Del
Coronado on Coronado Island, just a 15-minute cab ride to Downtown
San Diego. This hotel provides an ideal combination of both beach
and city and blends timeless charm and casual elegance. The 1500
Ocean Restaurant at the Del produces magnificent plates of seafood,
and this combined with Californian wine, sunshine and stunning
views over the Pacific, makes for quite a setting!
We are currently finalising our
plans for the 2017 Breeders Cup, in the meantime please
pre-register here for details.
