McAnally celebrates 70th Del Mar anniversary

Ron McAnally first came to Del Mar as a teenager working for his uncle, trainer Reggie Cornell, back in 1948, and this year’s meeting is particularly noteworthy for him, both because it’s the 70th anniversary of his first visit here, and because he’s here following a bad ankle fracture three months ago.

McAnally, a Hall of Fame trainer, broke his left ankle in a fluke accident at his San Fernando Valley home and was forced to remain there while recuperating from surgery to have nine screws and a plate inserted to help repair his ankle. He only recently was able to go back to Santa Anita, where he is a regular at Clocker’s Corner every morning.

This week, though, McAnally was in his familiar Del Mar perch, on a shaded landing on the second floor of his barn, hard by the six-furlong pole.

“Good ol’ Del Mar,” McAnally said. “Feels good to be here. Been here every year since 1948, except for two years in the service.”

McAnally, who turned 86 on July 11, is the second-winningest stakes trainer in Del Mar history, with 77 stakes wins. Only Bob Baffert has more. He is third in all-time wins among trainers at Del Mar, behind only Baffert and the late Mike Mitchell.