Some of the people leaving the Del Mar Fairgrounds on Opening Day were stopped by a special DUI task force and cited for driving under the influence officials said.
Among those pulled over by a special DUI task force was hall of fame jockey Michael E. Smith.
San Diego police records indicate Smith was arrested Wednesday on via Abertura and booked into central jail around 1:30 a.m. Thursday.
In a report posted by the Del Mar Racing Forum, Smith talked about the arrest which he said happened around 10 p.m. after he had had a few glasses of wine and not much to eat.
“I was driving on my home road down here, which is dark, and I got pulled over, and I blew a little over,” Smith told the racing website Thursday afternoon. “It wasn’t like I was going 100 miles per hour, or being reckless. I was going a little over the limit on my home road.”
The arrest report describes Smith as 5'4", 114 lbs.
He was released at 4:02 a.m. and is due in court Sept. 1.
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A spokesperson for the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club refused comment explaining that the issue was a pending legal matter.
Of the 349 drivers stopped by the strike team between 3 p.m. and midnight, 56 were checked to see if they were driving while intoxicated San Diego County sheriff's deputies said.
Officials made 15 arrests for DUI. Four drivers were found to be driving on suspended licenses. Two people were arrested for drug possession.
They also issued 35 other citations for traffic violations and impounded more than a dozen vehicles.
The so-called Strike Team comprised of officers from National City, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Coronado, San Diego police departments along with Harbor police, San Diego Probation officers and Alcohol Beverage Control.
