Photo Cal Montney, Los Angeles Times CC BY 4.0

Horse racing is one of the most popular sporting events to attend in Los Angeles. With warm climates throughout the year, action on track takes place daily in the city of Los Angeles, with scenic tracks located across California.

Some of the biggest races of the season are held in the state, and that will be no different in 2025 when the Breeders’ Cup returns to the state for the third successive year.

But, what are some of the most popular locations to watch horse racing action in the Los Angeles region?

Del Mar

Del Mar is one of the most scenic locations to watch horse racing action in North America, with the track located in the beach city of San Diego. It has been open for racing action since 1937, it is has been a notable venue for the Breeders’ Cup in recent years, including in 2024, according to TwinSpires.com.

The track will host the prestigious World Championships for a second successive year in 2025. Del Mar is known for a number of slogans, including ‘Where the Turf Meets the Surf’. It has enjoyed a star-studded history, including from its formation when it was built by a partnership including Pat O’Brien, Bing Crosby, and Gary Cooper.

Racing action takes place at Del Mar between July and September, with a second meet running in November added in 2014. Aside from hosting the Breeders’ Cup, Del Mar also proudly boasts six Grade Ones on its annual program.

The standout of these comes in the form of the Pacific Classic, which is run over 1 ¼ miles on the dirt, with the field competing for their share of the $1 million purse, as well as an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. It has been a Grade One race since 1993, and notable winners include California Chrome, Flightline, and Beholder.

Hollywood Park

One of the most famous venues for horse racing action is the Hollywood Park Racetrack. However, the venue closed down in December 2013. Still, it remains a constant reminder of the legacy of the sport in the region, with the location still being a prominent sporting venue in Los Angeles, with the world-esteemed SoFi Stadium located on the Hollywood Park grounds.

The casino remains in the location, with the track’s history dating back to June 1938. It was founded by Hollywood elite, with Warner Bros film studio chairman Jack Warner among the prominent shareholders in early history.

The track played host to some of the most esteemed races in the region throughout its history, including Grade Ones in the forms of the Hollywood Derby, American Oaks, and G1 Matriarch Stakes.

However, its most prominent race in the diary was the Hollywood Gold Cup. This race was run at Hollywood Park between 1938 and 2013, with legendary winners in this period coming in the forms of Cigar, Ferdinand, and Seabiscuit.

Santa Anita

It could be argued that the most esteemed racecourse in California comes in the form of Santa Anita Park. It is a course that is one the bucket list for racing fans across the world, and it continues to host some of the biggest races in the state to this day.

Santa Anita Park was opened to the public on Christmas Day in 1934, and it has hosted the prestigious Breeders’ Cup on eleven occasions. Santa Anita also played a prominent role at the 1984 Olympic Games, as it was the side for all equestrian events.

The track plays host to over 30 graded races annually, which includes a California-high of 13 Grade Ones. Among those include the American Pharoah Stakes, the Awesome Again Stakes, and the Santa Anita Derby. However, the most famous race at the track is the Santa Anita Handicap, which was first run in 1935.

The race is one of the most important for older horses in North America, and it is contested over a distance of 1 ¼ miles on the dirt. Seabiscuit was a famous runner in the race, finishing second in 1937 and 1938, before finally winning the Santa Anita Handicap in 1940. Other famous winners of the race include Ack Ack, Lucky Debonair, and Affirmed.

Kentucky Derby Preps in California

One of the major Kentucky Derby prep races is staged annually at Santa Anita with the Santa Anita Derby typically throwing up a runner that will compete for the win in the opening Triple Crown race.

Since its inception, ten winners of the race have follow up in the Kentucky Derby, while seven horses beaten in the Santa Anita Derby have also won the opening leg of the Triple Crown.

The most recent horse to have won both races was Justify in 2018, who would later add to his Kentucky Derby success by winning the Belmont Stakes and Preakness Stakes.

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