Del Mar Racing Program: How to Read It (2026 Guide)

The Del Mar racing program is the official day sheet for each race card: every race’s conditions, the horses with their program numbers, morning-line odds, jockeys, trainers and weights. You can pick one up free with admission at the track or view it on dmtc.com, and once you know what each line means, you can read it in a few minutes. Below is a field-by-field breakdown, a worked example, and the 2026 basics for a day at Del Mar.

When Del Mar races in 2026

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club runs two seasons at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar (address per the California Horse Racing Board).

• Summer season: July 17 to Labor Day, September 7, 2026, racing mainly Thursday through Sunday. The $1 million Pacific Classic moved this year to Saturday, August 22, instead of its usual Labor Day weekend slot (DMTC announcement). That season is over.
• Bing Crosby Season (fall): November 6 to 29, 2026, 13 race days. Racing runs Friday through Sunday each week, plus Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26. DMTC lists first post at 12:30 p.m., with an 11 a.m. start on Thanksgiving (DMTC fall season news).

The fall meet ends with the FanDuel Racing Turf Festival over Thanksgiving weekend: the Hollywood Turf Cup on November 27, the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on November 28, and the Grade 1 Matriarch on closing day, November 29. If you search “Del Mar track today” outside these dates, there is no live racing, so no new program.

Where to get the Del Mar program for today

• At the track: Del Mar’s handicapping page says the official program is free with admission (Tips & Tricks).
• Online: Del Mar posts each day’s program as a PDF on dmtc.com, under the racing and handicapping sections. It typically goes up the day before or the morning of the card.
• Free extras: The same page links free picks, a pick calculator, winning post position stats and workout tabs. On select days Del Mar also runs a “Data On Us” promotion with free handicapping data. For 2026 it is offered for the Saturday, November 7 card (Data On Us).

One thing to know up front: the free program is not a full racing form. The 2026 programs carry entries, morning lines, a short race-by-race analysis from a Daily Racing Form handicapper, and jockey, trainer and post-position stats. Del Mar provides past performances for its stakes races. For full past performances on every horse in every race, handicappers buy them from Daily Racing Form, Equibase, Brisnet or similar services.

How to read a horse racing program: the race header

Each race starts with a block that tells you what kind of race it is. Read this first, because it frames everything below it.

• Race number and post time. “1st Race, approx. post 12:30” is the scheduled start; each later race has its own approximate post time printed in its header.
• Conditions. The plain-English rules of who can enter: age, sex, how many races they have won, and the weight each carries. A “maiden” race is for horses that have never won. A “claiming” race means every horse can be bought for the listed price, which sets the class level. “Allowance” and “stakes” races are higher levels.
• Distance and surface. Distances are in furlongs (one furlong is an eighth of a mile) or miles, on dirt or turf. Del Mar’s fall meet leans heavily on turf racing.
• Purse. The prize money. A bigger purse usually means better horses.
• Track record. The fastest time ever run at that distance and surface at Del Mar.
• Bets offered. A box listing every wager available on that race, such as exacta, trifecta, superfecta, Daily Double or the start of a Pick 4.

Reading each horse’s entry

Every horse gets a few lines. In Del Mar’s 2026 programs, they contain:

Field	What it tells you
Program number	The large number on the saddle cloth. This is the number you say at the window or tap in the app.
Post position (PP)	The starting-gate stall. Usually the same as the program number, but not always.
Morning line	The oddsmaker’s forecast of final odds, like 7/2 or 6 (meaning 6-1). Not a payout.
Horse name and weight	Weight carried in pounds, including the jockey.
Medication and equipment codes	“L” means the horse races on Lasix, a common anti-bleeding drug. Equipment changes such as “blinkers on” are flagged too.
Age, sex, color, breeding	For example “3 c” is a 3-year-old colt; “f” filly, “m” mare, “g” gelding. Sire and dam follow.
Owner, trainer, jockey	Plus silk colors, so you can follow your horse during the race.
Ratings or symbols	Del Mar’s programs note an Equibase rating by the horse’s name and mark California-breds and special-series eligibility.

Why program number and post position can differ

When one trainer or owner runs two horses in the same race, they are often “coupled” as an entry: 1 and 1A. One bet on “1” covers both. Both still break from their own gate stalls, so 1A might start from post 7. Late scratches are announced on the track and on the tote board but not in a program printed earlier, so a horse listed in the program may not run. Always bet by program number and check scratches before you go to the window.

Example breakdown

Here is a made-up entry, written the way it typically appears, so you can see each field in action:

4 (PP 4) SEASIDE TEMPO L 122 · ML 5-2 Dk b or br g. 4, by Example Sire, out of Example Dam Owner: Coastline Stable · Trainer: J. Smith · Jockey: R. Lopez

How to read it:

• 4 on the saddle cloth, starting from gate 4.
• L 122: races on Lasix and carries 122 pounds.
• ML 5-2: the oddsmaker expects about 5-2, so a $2 win bet would return roughly $7 if those odds held. The program’s odds-to-payoff table does this math for you.
• Dk b or br g. 4: a dark bay or brown gelding, four years old.

If this were a $25,000 claiming race at a mile on turf, you would next check whether Seaside Tempo has run well at that level and on grass, which is where past performances come in.

How to read past performances

Past performances (PPs) list each horse’s recent races, one per line, newest first. Daily Racing Form’s guide breaks a line into these fields, in order:

1. Date and track, such as 17Oct26 SA (race date, track code).
2. Track condition: ft (fast), gd (good), sy (sloppy) for dirt; fm (firm) and yl (yielding) for turf.
3. Distance and fractions: the leader’s split times and the final time.
4. Race type: Msw (maiden special weight), Mcl (maiden claiming), Clm (claiming, with price), Alw (allowance), Stk (stakes).
5. Speed figure: a single number rating how fast the horse ran, adjusted for track speed. Beyer figures are DRF’s version; Equibase and Brisnet have their own. Compare figures within the same system only.
6. Post position in that race.
7. Running line: position and lengths behind at each call, then the finish. 3² means third, two lengths behind.
8. Jockey, weight and odds: a * marks the betting favorite.
9. Company line: the top three finishers.
10. Comment: a short note, such as “bumped start” or “wide, closed late.”

Below the race lines sit workouts: date, track, distance and time, with a rank like 4/20 (fourth-fastest of 20 that day). A bullet marks the best work of the day at that distance.

What beginners usually look for: recent speed figures that fit today’s class, form at today’s distance and surface, a trainer or jockey hitting well at the meet (the program’s standings help here), a steady stream of recent workouts, and trouble lines that excuse a bad finish.

Del Mar betting basics

Del Mar’s wagering menu lists these minimums:

Bet	Minimum	What you need
Win / Place / Show	Typically $2	1st / top two / top three
Exacta	$1	Top two in order
Quinella	$2	Top two, any order
Trifecta	50¢	Top three in order
Superfecta	10¢	Top four in order
Daily Double	$2	Winners of two straight races
Pick 4 / Pick 5	50¢	Winners of four or five straight races
Pick 6	$2	Winners of six straight races

At the window, say it in this order: race number, dollar amount, bet type, program number. For example, “Race 3, $2 to win on number 4.” Set a budget before the first race; Del Mar links responsible gambling resources from its handicapping pages.

Admission, getting there and what to wear

• Tickets: For the 2026 fall season, children 17 and under get free racetrack admission (restrictions apply), per the fall admission page. Summer general admission started at $10; check the same page for current fall prices and the Turf Club.
• Parking: General, valet and a discounted parking book are offered for November 6 to 29. Rates are on Del Mar’s parking and transportation page.
• Transit: The “Pony Express” ticket from North County Transit District bundles admission, a round-trip transit fare and a shuttle from Solana Beach COASTER station. In summer 2026 it cost $15 for adults (NCTD). Del Mar lists it for the fall season too; confirm fall details on the NCTD page.
• What to wear: Grandstand and trackside areas are casual. The Turf Club dress code requires a suit or sport jacket for men, and suits, daytime dresses or tailored outfits for women. Shorts, T-shirts, athletic wear and flip-flops are banned there. November afternoons are mild but the marine breeze picks up late, so bring a layer.

Make a day of it

The track sits beside the San Dieguito River mouth, a short walk from Del Mar’s beaches. Arrive early for a morning on the sand before first post; see our San Diego beach guide. If you’re staying into the holiday season, our Holiday of Lights guide covers the drive-through light show that has been held at the same fairgrounds.