SAN DIEGO, CA (KGTV) — The San Diego County Fair has now moved on, and the horse racing season is upon us.
However, long before the horses hit the turf, the track needs to be fancied up just a bit, and that is where the groundskeeping crew comes in.
John Beggin is the Turf and Track Superintendant and the Del Mar Race Track, says as soon as the fair comes to an end, he and his crew have two weeks to put close to 55,000 plants and flowers into the ground. It's a very long process.
"All these flowers are specially grown for us, so I put an order in nine months in advance. We received around 50,000 plants, and we start from scratch," Beggin said. "We take all the bark out, re-till the soil, we add amendments to the soil, and then add the plants and water."
So there are around 50,000 plants and flowers new to the track, but the landscapers aren't just sticking them anywhere, it takes a little artistry.
"We have a design that we and my assistant create," Beggin said. "Every year we try and change the theme, design the colors, all to have a theme."
John and his crew have been working six to seven days a week 10 hours a day, all in preparation for opening day. However, it's not all just about plants and flowers. John and his crew are also in charge of the turf track and making sure the grass is grown to keep the horses safe.
"A lot of care goes into the turf, and we are in a unique coastal climate. We have to treat it differently than every other area. It's a lot of work, but safety of the horses is number one," says Beggin.
It's a job that doesn't get much fanfare, but for John and his crew, they take a lot of pride in making Del Mar look vibrant and fabulous.
"A lot of pride to look at everything and know that we did it from scratch," he said. "That nothing was there, and we created everything, and it's really, really prideful."
