racing community was deeply resentful of oil-dripping cars being run on the horse-oriented dirt racing surface.) There was a temporary auto-racing circuit held in the race track parking lot during the mid-1960s and between 1987 and 1992. The latter hosted an IMSA Camel GT race. Both circuits were long with layouts that were different from each other. The Del Mar racetrack runs live racing from July through early September and, since 2014, a second live meet is run in November. A satellite wagering facility operates during the other months of the year. Larry Collmus temporarily replaced Trevor Denman in 2020 after 36 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Denman returned to announcing at Del Mar in July 2021. Race Lap Records Physical attributes The track has a one-mile oval with chutes for 7/8 and -mile races and a seven-eighths mile oval with a diagonal straightaway chute for 1 1/16 and 1 1/8 mile races on the turf course. The turf is a mixture of Common Bermuda and Hybrid Bermuda (GN-1). The track hosts live racing for two seasons each year at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and can stable more than two thousand horses. Del Mar is known for its tan stucco grandstand located in close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. In early 2007, Del Mar became the second track in Southern California to install a synthetic surface and the first to install a Polytrack brand surface for a price of approximately $9 million. However, in February 2014 Del Mar president Joe Harper announced his intention to return to a dirt surface for the 2015 racing season. Harper cited a lack of synthetic surfaces in Southern California as the reason for the switch. At the time, both Santa Anita Park and Hollywood Park had both experimented with a synthetic surface but then reverted to dirt. TV personalities Ernie Myers Jon Lies (2007–present) Bob Ike (?–present) Mike Willman (?-2006 full-time, 2007–2009 part-time) Premium clubs The Turf Club The Turf Club is the Premium Club of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. You must be a member, or a guest of a member, to visit the Turf Club. A buttoned up shirt and jacket are required attire for men. The Saddle Club The Saddle Club is the Premium Club of Surfside Race Place. Anybody may visit for a daily fee. There is no required dress code. The two clubs have no relation to one