California Best Horse Racing Betting Offers & Sites

California’s modern era of horse racing began in 1933 with the legalization of pari-mutuel wagering in the state. Today, the Golden State is among the major players in the USA horse racing industry. Along with thoroughbred racing at Santa Anita, Del Mar, and Golden Gate Fields, there’s also quarter-horse racing at Los Alamitos. As well, Cal-Expo is the only harness track west of the Mississippi River.  

California Best Horse Betting Offers

California Horse Betting Sites And Mobile Apps

There are more than 30 fairs and off-track betting sites across the state of California that offer wagering on racing within the state and from around the world. 

As well, the following prominent online and mobile horse racing sites are all available to California horse bettors:

• TVG
• DRF Bets
• TwinSpires
• 1/ST BET
• NYRA Bets.

Current Promotions by California Horse Betting Sites

DRF Bets California

New players at DRF Bets get a 100 percent matching first deposit bonus worth up to $200.

Betting Features: stakes preview, unlimited DRF Classic and Formulator Past Performances, Free Beyer Speed Figures.

TVG California

Get up to $200 Back If your first single-horse win bet doesn’t win. TVG also fees on your first deposit of $50 or more.

Betting Features: TVG Expert Picks for everyday, Free Past Performances Program, Money Back Special on select races.

TwinSpires CA

TwinSpires offers a $200 signup bonus to new customers. The $200 bonus cash is credited instantly after $500 in completed wagers are played.

Betting Features: Live races and highlights of previous races both on the website and the app, 15% boost on a winning Trifecta bet every Tuesday.

NYRA Bets California

Newcomers to NYRA Bets receive a $25 free bet, as well as a 50 percent matching first deposit bonus up to a maximum of $200. After customer wagers $400 in first 30 days. Then $200 wagering credit deposited to the account.

Betting Features: Free live video streaming (HD live and replay) on Thoroughbred, Harness and Quarter horse racing and race replays nationwide, free handicapping tips, swap positions quickly for Exacta, Tri & Supers.

Popular Online Horse Bet Types & Races 

California horse players can place straight bets such as win, place, show and across the board (win-place-show). There are also daily doubles and Pick 3, 4, 5, and 6 wagering.

There are also a number of exotic wagering options available. These would include exactas, which are the top two finishers in a race, trifecta, taking into account the top three finishers in a race, superfecta accounting for the top four finishers in a race and hexafecta, which covers the top six finishers in a race. Players can box – allowing the horses to finish in any order, or wheel – keying at least one horse into a specific spot while wheeling other horses around it – these wagers.

Major US Horse Betting Events That You Can Bet On In California

There are no fewer than 16 Grade I stakes events in California. The most prominent is the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby for three year olds. Del Mar offers the $750,000 TVG Pacific Classic for three-year-olds and up. For two-year-olds, there’s the Del Mar Futurity and Del Mar Debutante, each with $300,000 purses. For fillies and mares there’s the Del Mar Oaks and at Santa Anita the Gamely, the Beholder, the La Brea and American Oaks, all offering $300,000 purses.

The Del Mar Oaks, Clement L. Hirsch Stakes and Bing Crosby Stakes are also at Del Mar, each with $300,000 purses. Santa Anita offers the Santa Anita Handicap and Frank E. Kilroe Mile at $400,000 and the Shoemaker Mile, The Hollywood Gold Cup and Runhappy Malibu at $300,000.

California Horse Racing Betting Legal Overview

Historic Santa Anita Park was home to legendary racehorse Seabiscuit. The iconic track opened its doors in 1934 and served as home to the equestrian events during the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

Opened in 1941, Golden Gate Fields was home base for 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation and Russell Baze, the winningest jockey in thoroughbred racing. 

Often referred to as the most beautiful track in the world, scenic seaside Del Mar opened for business in 1937, funded by a group of investors that included actor/crooner Bing Crosby and actor Pat O’Brien. 

Situated in Orange County, Los Alamitos is known as the top track for quarter horse racing in America. It opened in 1947.

California Racetracks

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club – 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar, California 92014. The track offers a 43-day meet with nearly $7 million in stakes purses.

Golden Gate Fields – 1100 Eastshore Highway, Berkeley, CA 94710. Located 11 miles east of San Francisco. Offers live racing October-January.

Los Alamitos Race Course – 4961 Katella Ave., Los Alamitos, CA, 90720. Los Alamitos offers both thoroughbred and quarter horse racing 151 days a year.

Santa Anita Park – 285 W Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. Santa Anita offers an October-November fall meet and Dec. 26-April winter meet.

Cal-Expo – 25 Cadillac Dr, Suite 201, Sacramento, CA 95825. Live harness racing is offered from November-April.

California Horse Betting FAQs