By Dan Ross
Horses evacuated Tuesday from the wildfire-threatened San Luis Rey Downs training center in Bonsall, San Diego County, and shipped elsewhere, largely to Del Mar racetrack, started to file back to the training center Wednesday.
The nearby Lilac Fire has burned through 85 acres and is 90% contained, according to Cal Fire.
“All evacuation orders and warnings were lifted in the area last night and fire containment improved to 90% as of this morning. Air quality is good so barring any change in conditions our plan is to allow horses to return later today,” wrote Nate Newby, Santa Anita's general manager, in a text Wednesday morning.
The firefighters did an amazing job,” Newby added.
In case the horses remained at Del Mar for any prolonged period, track operators had started Tuesday the process of opening up the training and main tracks for exercise.
The 228 horses evacuated from San Luis Rey to Del Mar yesterday began their journey back home this morning!
A heartfelt thank you to the incredible teams at @DelMarRacing & @santaanitapark for their seamless coordination & unwavering dedication to keeping our horses safe 🤝 pic.twitter.com/Q2uG085J6E
— Thoroughbred Owners of California (@toc_racing) January 22, 2025
“No sooner that they arrive, they head back. But it was a good exercise,” said Tom Robbins, Del Mar's executive vice president of racing and industry relations. He added that ultimately, the safety of the horses, people and facilities is what matters. “It was the best possible outcome.”
In December of 2017, a wildfire ripped through the San Luis Rey training center. 46 horses died and multiple barns were severely damaged.
The latest threat to the training facility follows on the heels of some of the worst fires to have devastated Los Angeles.
They include the Palisades Fire, on the west side of the city, and the Eaton Fire focused on the northeastern suburb of Altadena, a community in the San Gabriel Mountain foothills where many of Santa Anita's racetrack community live. Together, they have burned through some 38,000 acres. Those who have lost their homes in the fires include several from the Santa Anita racetrack community.
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