If you’re heading to 2025 Breeder’s cup at Del Mar on October 31 and November 1, there’s a good chance you’ll show up with your phone in hand. There’s no shame: you’ll be at the World Horse Racing Championships. If you don’t have the photos to prove it, were you really there?
As someone who has been lucky enough to visit Del Mar several times, I thought I would give you a little taste of some of the spots on the circuit where you can take great photos. Here are the people, places and things you might want to capture with your phone’s camera – or with a real camera!
The Paddock
For those new to horse racing, the paddock is where all the action takes place before each race. As there will be fourteen championship races during the two-day Breeders’ Cup, the paddock will be where the horses will make their first public appearance for each of these races.
If you would like a photo of a particular horse, please secure a spot outside the Del Mar paddock at least 30 minutes before the scheduled race. At the Breeders’ Cup you might want to get to the paddock even earlier because it can get busy and taking a photo blurred by the head of a guy in front of you isn’t what you want.
Entrances/exits to the paddock
Sometimes you don’t really have to be outside the paddock to take a cool photo. There are two main paths into and out of the paddock, where people will line up for each race.
The paddock entrance on the side of the clubhouse in Del Mar is where the horses take their walks from the barn. When they are ready to go to the track, they walk through an exit to the track and that path is another area where you can stand outside. On that same trail you see the jockeys coming out of the “jocks room” before every race and who doesn’t love a photo of a jockey?
17 hands
If your camera roll is filled with photos of every restaurant you visit, I feel you. Between races you can go to 17 hands, just to the right of the paddock – if you look at the paddock with the race track behind you. 17 Hands is one of the easiest places on the ground floor of Del Mar to pick up a signature Del Margarita. Pair it with some tacos and you’ve got the food/drink photo box checked.
Plaza de Mexico and the fountain
Not far from 17 Hands is one of Del Mar’s most iconic spots: the fountain in the center of Plaza de Mexico. The square acts as a hub for many of the circuit’s activities, including the popular hat competition held each year on the opening day of the summer meeting in July.
Standing right in front of the fountain while looking into the grandstand will fill your photo frame with one of the most striking representations of the track’s beauty.
Starting gate
Pay close attention to the starting gate. You will notice that it is re-placed on the track after each race so that it is parked in a spot that is suitable for the different distances that racehorses run. For some of the longer races, the fence is placed directly in front of the fans in the stands. So plan ahead and make a note of which races start at the front of the track (there’s a mini track map in the race program that shows you where each race starts) and scout out a spot near the track.
You can take photos of the horses loading into the gate and photos of the start of the race. This is also an ideal selfie spot.
Breeder’s cup photo walls
As with other major outdoor sporting events, photo ops and flowery backdrops often pop up on big race days. If you’re in a VIP hospitality area for the Breeders’ Cup, you’ll almost certainly encounter one.
But even if you walk through the stands during the World Championships, there will be a flower wall or similar Breeders’ Cup-branded backdrop for a photo to celebrate your visit to Del Mar.
Winner’s circle
On race days, this area is closely guarded for access by official staff, media, owners, trainers and grooms who care for the horses. However, if you’re standing just outside the winner’s circle, you can still get a cool photo of a winning horse being led in for his or her post-race photo. You’ll also occasionally see a celebrity or two presenting the winner’s trophy for a Breeders’ Cup race.
Outdoor gardens/flowers
This will be the first and last reminder of the aesthetic beauty of Del Mar.
Along the way and off the track, notice the immaculate landscaping with bright flowers, shrubs and other plants (which I wish I could identify).
Suffice to say, it all makes for wonderful photo opportunities – whether you just capture the flowers and plants on their own or decide they make the perfect backdrop for a photo of you or the people attending the Breeders’ Cup with you.
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