Can you go to the Del Mar horse races on Thanksgiving 2026?
Yes. Del Mar races on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, 2026, with first post at 11 a.m. and a family fun run on the track at 8 a.m. The Bing Crosby Season runs Fridays-Sundays through Nov. 29, ending with the turf festival.
- Thanksgiving post
- 11 a.m.
- Season
- Nov. 6-29
- Stakes purses
- $2.1M
- Sundays
- Free
Thu., Nov. 26
13 race days
15 stakes
Free & Fun Sundays
The short version
- Del Mar's 13-day Bing Crosby Season runs Nov. 6-29, 2026, racing Friday through Sunday plus Thanksgiving Day.
- On Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, a one-mile Family Fun Run starts at 8 a.m. and racing starts at 11 a.m., ending around 2 p.m.
- First post is otherwise 12:30 p.m.; gates opened at 11 a.m. on opening day.
- The FanDuel Racing Turf Festival (Nov. 26-29) includes the Grade I Hollywood Derby on Nov. 28 and Grade I Matriarch on Nov. 29, each $300,000.
- Sundays are 'Free & Fun': free admission and a seat, per the track's events calendar.
Del Mar's fall meet, the Bing Crosby Season, is the track's 13th since it began in 2014. It runs 13 race days, Fridays through Sundays from Nov. 6 to Nov. 29, 2026, plus Thanksgiving Day. Friday cards usually have eight races and weekend cards nine. The track is at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar.
Thanksgiving at the track
Thursday, Nov. 26
- 01
8 a.m.: Family Fun Run
A one-mile run around the track's main oval. Families and kids are welcome; proceeds go to the Helen Woodward Animal Center. Register through the track's events page.
- 02
11 a.m.: First post
Racing starts 90 minutes earlier than usual and wraps up around 2 p.m., leaving the afternoon for dinner.
- 03
Red Carpet Stakes
The $120,000 Grade III race for fillies and mares, 1 3/8 miles on the grass, opens the turf festival.
What's left of the meet
| Date | What's on |
|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Uncorked: Derby Days wine fest (100+ wines; separate ticket) |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Taco & Beer Festival; Grade III Native Diver |
| Sun., Nov. 22 | Toys for Tots: bring a new, unwrapped toy |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Fun Run 8 a.m., racing 11 a.m., Red Carpet Stakes |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Family Fun Day; Grade II Hollywood Turf Cup |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Grade I Hollywood Derby ($300,000), Seabiscuit, Jimmy Durante; betting challenge |
| Sun., Nov. 29 | Grade I Matriarch ($300,000), closing day |
Sat., Nov. 14
Uncorked: Derby Days wine fest (100+ wines; separate ticket)
Sat., Nov. 21
Taco & Beer Festival; Grade III Native Diver
Sun., Nov. 22
Toys for Tots: bring a new, unwrapped toy
Thu., Nov. 26
Fun Run 8 a.m., racing 11 a.m., Red Carpet Stakes
Fri., Nov. 27
Family Fun Day; Grade II Hollywood Turf Cup
Sat., Nov. 28
Grade I Hollywood Derby ($300,000), Seabiscuit, Jimmy Durante; betting challenge
Sun., Nov. 29
Grade I Matriarch ($300,000), closing day
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club news and events calendar, checked Nov. 9, 2026. Stakes dates can shift; confirm on dmtc.com.
Ways to go for less
- Sundays: Free & Fun Sundays include free admission and a seat, per the track's calendar. One event listing ties it to the track's Diamond Club, so signing up first is the safe move.
- Fridays: seniors with ID get in free at designated gates, per There San Diego.
- Weekends: free handicapping seminars at noon on Saturdays and Sundays if you're new to betting.
Running instead? See Thanksgiving turkey trots and what's open. And plan for race-day traffic around Del Mar.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 9, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Event dates, times and prices are set by the organizers and can change or sell out. Confirm with the organizer's own page before you plan around them.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club · Oct. 28, 2026
Season dates, race days, post times, Thanksgiving 11 a.m. start, Fun Run, stakes purses, promotions
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club · Aug. 27, 2026
Stakes schedule; its early-meet weekdays don't match 2026, so only Thanksgiving-weekend dates were used
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club · Checked Nov. 9, 2026
Free & Fun Sundays, Uncorked, Taco & Beer, Toys for Tots, Thanksgiving brunch, Family Fun Day
- PrimaryOpening Day
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club · Checked Nov. 9, 2026
Gates 11 a.m., first post 12:30 p.m.
There San Diego · Oct. 27, 2026
Free senior admission on Fridays; Diamond Club perks