Horse racing is just part of the fun at Del Mar. By Andrew checn (Achen33) – Own work, via Wikimedia Commons.

Stephan Teodosescu is a graduate student at Cal Poly and is currently living in San Diego to complete a nine-month long internship for his degree.

SAN DIEGO — The  smell of corn dogs, horse manure and the sights of big hats — really big hats — greeted me at my first-ever trip to the races.

I’d heard that taking in an afternoon of horse racing at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club was a must for anyone new to the San Diego area, and I wasn’t disappointed when I did this past Saturday.

While I didn’t make it to the spectacle that is opening day on Thursday, Saturday’s races featured photo finishes and plenty of excitement on the turf. But I learned Del Mar is about much more than racing, it’s about the scene too.

The sport is one of the oldest and its patrons at other tracks nationwide often equally as aged, but those attending Saturday seemed to be just the opposite. It was apparent most people were there to have a good time with family and friends, and used it as an excuse to get dressed and liquored up.

Upon entering the parking lot, I passed one car with an older family in it wearing their finest Saturday garb and newspapers filled with betting lines in hand. The car behind them featured college students blasting Katy Perry and slamming Four Lokos and PBR.  That’s what makes Del Mar unique — its charm attracts crowds of all ages and from all different economic backgrounds.

I figured a ticket to watch horse racing would be quite expensive, considering all the elegancy you see associated with it on television. But, my ticket cost only $6. Six bucks! I paid triple that to watch the Padres non-existent offense against the Reds two weeks ago.

But don’t worry, I lost plenty of cash betting on the horses.

Del Mar does a good job of trying to initiate first-time attendees like myself to thoroughbred racing and the betting process. They offer Newcomers’ Seminars to help you “learn valuable horse racing information including understanding the odds, easy handicapping methods, money management and insider racing tips.”

Naturally, I skipped this and threw down my first bet with confidence, a $2 wager on Bollywood to win it in the fifth race.

Bollywood finished near the back.

I wagered a few more times, didn’t win a penny and learned a few things about placing bets in the process —  the main lesson being that rooting interests are proportional to the amount of money you put in. I was screaming at horses to “dig” and “find another gear” just so they could win me a couple bucks.

The true allure to Del Mar lays in the culture, though. The track has done an excellent job of selling itself as a staple of San Diego. The 36-day meet is really a summer-long party that offers fans a chance to break out headgear that surely wouldn’t be acceptable in any other venue except maybe aboard the Titanic.

Just like Bing Crosby’s 1941 song, Del Mar is truly “Where the Turf Meets the Surf.” It’s safe to say, I’ll be back next weekend.