More than 200 horses were taken from the San Luis Rey Downs to the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Tuesday after the Lilac Fire started.
The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club is usually closed this time of year, but the stalls were full of some unexpected guests the last couple of days.
Two hundred twenty-eight horses that were evacuated from San Luis Rey Downs training center were taken to Del Mar Tuesday morning after a wildfire erupted near Bonsall. Officials at Del Mar say they got the call around 4 a.m. and immediately jumped into action.
“It’s actually quite a bit of a process,” said Ann Hall, DMTC chief operating officer. “We went from being a dark facility, to getting the feed companies down, to getting bedding in the stalls, the banning companies to get the horses loaded with the tack, all the equipment that they need, as well as getting our staff ready to get food. We got to feed these folks so that they’re comfortable while they’re here."
Hall says it’s the first time they’ve had to take in evacuated horses since the 2017 Lilac Fire, which struck the same area. She says they did start preparing to take in horses from Santa Anita Park in Los Angeles, once the Eaton Fire broke out on Jan. 7, though no evacuations were necessary.
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“These horses, this is our business,” Hall said. “So even though this is not a time of year we traditionally have horses, it is so nice to be able to open our arms and welcome them and also the people that come along with them.”
Evacuation orders were lifted later Tuesday evening, allowing the horses to start heading back home to San Luis Rey Downs on Wednesday morning. The fire burned 85 acres.
“It’s an inconvenience for everybody. The horses are uprooted, the trainers are uprooted, but honestly, to have them here for a minute, it does feel kind of nice,” Hall said. “It is such a team effort. We can't do it without the help of everybody involved.”
