Columnist Ralph Siraco: Del Mar’s opening creates frenzy in books

Ralph Siraco

Monday, July 26, 1999 | 10:08 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections appear Tuesday through Friday. Write to him c /o Las Vegas Sun, 800 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107.

The time was 1:30 on Thursday afternoon.

Typically at that time of the day, in any race book in Nevada, tracks operating in the Eastern time zone would be fielding their featured race of the day. Typically, on Thursdays, that feature race would carry no more than the highest purse offering of the respective track's racing program.

Until Thursday, the second race of the West Coast tracks would be loading into the starting gate. Northern California's racing Fair circuit would be starting their thoroughbred portion of a mixed meet of races and many race players who visited the race book with the start of the Eastern cards would either be booking reservations in the gourmet rooms from the winnings of the day or heading to the ATM to get even on the "late" races from the left coast.

But Thursday was no normal weekday of racing at the books. It wasn't business as usual, the calm before the weekend storm, the lull day of the racing week.

Thursday was opening day at Del Mar. And, with a scheduled first post time of 2 p.m. for the curtain-rasier on the 42-day seaside racing season, Nevada race players who weren't lucky enough to take a "personal" four-day weekend to attend the races in the Southern California community just north of San Diego did the next best thing. They rushed to their local race book for the simulcast of this 60th racing meet of oceanside fun.

Hey, it was time for Del Mar. "Where the turf meet the surf," babes in halter tops, dudes in shorts, horses racing to a backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and a new meet of hope and anticipation. Except for the Pacific, that feeling transcended geography and miles.

The opening of Del Mar is special among racing fans. There are only seven days on the racing calendar that fans and participants of the sport of kings look forward to with the kind of anticipation and excitement as this, and three are the opening of special race meets in this country.

In addition to Kentucky Derby day, followed by the Triple Crown links of the Preakness and Belmont Stakes (when there is a Triple Crown bid on the line) and Breeders' Cup Day, only the beginning of Santa Anita (the day after Christmas) and Saratoga (this Wednesday in upstate New York) match the Del Mar opener.

So, by the time the horses were entering the paddock for the first race of the meet there was standing room only at most of the Nevada race books in anticipation of the legendary tones of Bing Crosby and his trademark song to the track by the sea, that the famous crooner built with movie star buddy Pat O'Brien back in 1937.

By 1:49 p.m. the race books had the sound turned up ready for the first rendition of "Where the turf meets the surf." Each day, as the horses enter the track for the first post parade of the day, the newly renovated track flashes back to its laid-back beginnings, when it plays the original song belted out by B-B-B-B-Bing.

The clock showed ten minutes to post time. The horses strutted from the walking ring on the front side of the filled-to-capacity grandstand to the track. The scene was set, the horses were in the cued position. The crowd was willing and ready.

Then, instead of the signature start to another record-breaking meeting down at Ol' Del Mar, there was a record broken. Or maybe a broken record. In any case, the horses broke off from the post parade without a single ba-ba-ba-boo from Bing. Instead of Crosby, it sounded more like Simon & Garfunkel -- it was the sound of silence.

It seemed the sound system wasn't ready for opening day and the first tradition of the season was broken. Track officials quickly corrected the problem. But by then it was post time, the horses were at the starting gate and the mood was gone. The track tried to redeem itself with the song for the second race post parade but it wasn't the same. Imagine Churchill Downs playing "My Old Kentucky Home" for the race after the Derby.

Nevertheless, when the horses sprang from the starting gate for the one mile opener -- in front of the stands on the one mile track -- the crowds cheered from the sea to the desert.

Nevertheless, Del Mar was back. Nevertheless, along with Bing, the old track was missing, but the later by design.

Del Mar's main track racing surface had gone through a complete and thorough overhaul. Of the $2.5 million in upgrades, renovations and construction during its off-season, the largest expenditure was the $600,000 invested in a total renovation of the dirt oval.

The track endured undue criticism for the safety of the racing surface last year. A rash of breakdowns prompted some horsemen to complain that the track had become unsafe. At the conclusion of the meet, statistics showed that the breakdowns were not out of line with previous years. However, in an effort to maintain the integrity of the track, officials commissioned a new racing surface for this season.

Early returns have produced mixed opinions from horsemen. The first race on opening day resulted in a 61-length span from the winner to the last-placed runner.

Jockey Corey Black, who finished last with Star of the East, said, "They better get some water on this track," commenting that the footing was loose. Martin Pedroza, who rode Storm and Silence to a fifth-place finish, reported a much more graphic trip from his ride.

Referring to his horse, Pedroza said "I had to pull his head up. He felt like a horse does when they break down. I thought he was going to go down."

By Friday, for the second day of racing, the track had gotten better. Jockey Alex Solis, fresh from the riding title at Hollywood Park, said "It (the track) was very nice, it had a good cushion and was very fluffy."

Hall of Fame rider Eddie Delahoussaye felt the track had improved 100 percent from last year. He compared the tracks by saying "This year, the kickback is a spray, last year it came back in clods, and you had red marks on your arms and chest."

Nevertheless, Del Mar is back, and by the weekend cards there was plenty of Bing and water for everyone.