Triple Crown events are best experienced in the company of others. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on tickets and travel to enjoy these events the way they were meant to be experienced. You need good company.
Strong drinks. A place to watch in comfort. Better yet, someplace that allows you to enjoy a lively atmosphere without planning it yourself.
We all like to gather for a horse racing watch party. We have less fun cleaning up afterward. These Santa Monica venues allow you to enjoy these races the way they were meant to be experienced. The venues below run the gamut from casino lounges to ocean-front cafes and dive bars with a hidden specialty in upmarket cocktails. It’s an eclectic list for an eclectic town. Let’s get into it, shall we?
Hollywood Park Casino
Hollywood Park Casino is technically in Inglewood, separated from Santa Monica by about nine miles. It’s an easy enough trek, and you’ll have both the comfort of a nice casino and the freedom that comes with easy access to gambling.
If hunger is the best seasoning, money on the line is the best enhancement to any sporting event. Enjoy a drink at the bar and watch in a room full of people who will be in a similar frame of mind to you.
Note: If you’re a long-time California native, you might remember Hollywood Park as a one-time venue for horse racing. Unfortunately, this has not been the case since 2013. So, no live races, but you can still place bets, and you can expect the venue to be very active on Triple Crown days.
Big Dean’s Ocean Front Cafe
The name kind of says it all. This is your basic sports bar with the pleasing addition of the nearby Pacific Ocean. For that, it’s reasonably affordable–$6 beers being a “deal” these days–and certainly lively on days with big sporting competitions.
While Big Dean’s won’t be as focused on the betting aspect of these events as the casinos are, there are easy ways to enjoy horse racing betting online. Grab some food while you are there. They have good cheeseburgers and are known for being generous with their fries.
Barney’s Beanery
A lively sort of venue that has never met an object it won’t lovingly nail to the wall. License plates. Knick-knacks. An endless array of string lights. Cheesy though the interior is, you’ll find some surprisingly upmarket bar eats available at a reasonable price. They have lots of screens, which means regardless of where you wind up sitting, you should have a pretty good look at the action.
The place fills quickly on race days, so arriving early helps secure a good spot. Regulars know to request the back corner tables which offer both screen visibility and enough space for your group to spread out racing forms and food. It’s a relatively small spot so it can get noisy but isn’t that part of the fun? If you want a quiet viewing experience, your best bet is to stay home.
While not explicitly catering to the racing crowd, the staff handles the Triple Crown rushes smoothly, keeping drinks flowing and maintaining the casual, unpretentious vibe that’s made it a Santa Monica staple for years.
Tiny’s Hi-Dive
A “high end” dive bar. It’s the sort of place where you can buy a really good hot dog and an expensive cocktail that is worth every penny. If you are looking for something a little lighter, they also have a surprisingly good soup menu.
There’s an undeniable energy about Tiny’s even on days where there isn’t a major event drawing people in by the double table load.
They are known for their live performances and exciting bar games, but on major sporting event days, it’s all business at Tiny’s. All eyes will be glued to the bar’s many screens to watch the Triple Crown races.
Yard House
Yard House is a small high-end sports bar chain that never even reaches for Tiny’s self-aware atmosphere. What you have here is a very modern environment that never strives to be anything other than upmarket.
This is the sort of place where you can spend fifteen dollars on a Bavarian pretzel. That’s the actual price, by the way. Their food is interesting–where else but at a modern upmarket sports bar will you find poke nachos?–but not as relaxed as some of the other options on our list. That’s the beauty of the Santa Monica area, though, isn’t it?
There is something out there for everyone. Be it a casual bar you can take your friend to, or a nicer spot like Yard House.
