David Beltran talks about The Agua Caliente Story

A former resident of Tijuana, David Beltran grew up near Agua Caliente Racetrack. Starting at age two, he would go to the races there along with his father, Eugenio Beltran Sr., and his older brother, Gene Jr. He also has attended the races throughout Southern California, New York, and Mexico City.

The compilation of historical data on Caliente has been a lifelong pursuit for David, who also is interested in the general history of Thoroughbred racing. His research has appeared on several horse racing web sites, including www.damepaso.com, www.infohipico.com, and www.todosport.com.mx, as well as in the Mexican horse racing magazine A Caballo.

In addition, he participated in a pictorial exhibit of Thoroughbred racing history in Tijuana at Tijuana's Historical Society, Cultural Center, and City Hall during 2003. He contributed a photograph to the illustrated version of Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit: An American Legend, and has donated material to the Keeneland Library.

The Agua Caliente Story is David's first book. He works for a food distribution company in Chula Vista, California, where he lives with his wife Minerva.

How did you come to write a book about the old Mexican racetrack, Agua Caliente?

My wife and I were shopping for a book like this, both in Mexico and San Diego. When we struck out, I decided to put what I knew about the track on paper. I used a regular 99¢ notebook. After about 12 pages, I knew I was on to something. There was so much history that was vanishing by the toll of time.

I was actually prepared to get a home equity loan to print the book should I fail to get this published. My wife is happy Eclipse Press stepped up to the plate! Seriously, I felt compelled to do this.

Was the book difficult to write considering the politics surrounding the racetrack and your own deeply personal feelings about Agua Caliente?

Big time, YES! I really could not believe all the red-tape! But then again, the Mexican government is quite famous for tying things up.

What is your fondest memory of Agua Caliente?

I remember the family outings with my dad and my older brother. Just going there felt magical. I recall the bomb threat and the Pineda-Early match race (both occurred in 1969). Most racetracks today do not have the cozy feeling Caliente had. It felt like going home.

Did you ever play the 5-10? How close did you come to winning?

I played it, but I never got close. My best result was four out of six. But both my dad and brother were serious about the 5-10. They both hit it once.

Who were some of your favorite horses that raced at Agua Caliente?

During the (John) Alessio days, my favorites were Pensive Pappa, Myrtle Bull, Zooron, Hoist Bar, and an old claimer by the name of La Tortuga (“the turtle” in Spanish). I just thought it was hilarious to name a racehorse after a turtle! My dad would tell me about Greek Island, Crazy Kid, Skip Khal, Sir Gareth, and Manumit. I was too young to remember those horses and, of course, those “mythical creatures” like Phar Lap and Seabiscuit.

You talked with numerous people connected to Agua Caliente. How did you find them and what are some of your fondest memories from these interviews?

I found them via the Internet and the white pages. I even took out an ad in the Daily Racing Form. Once I began interviewing people I got connected through them. John and Martha Cantarini were my “corner” people. Swede Jenner is amazing, as are Noble Threewitt and Jose Martin del Campo. I will never forget going to Shoe's (Bill Shoemaker) house. Or talking to (John) Longden. Everyone I interviewed “gave” me something -- a little piece of themselves, if you will. Those memories will last a lifetime for me.

What other research did you do for The Agua Caliente Story? Did your research take you in any unexpected directions?

I went to the archives at the San Diego library. I was able to see how racing was such important news back in the 1930s. Today, racing is relegated to the back page of the sports section. The research enabled me to read about things I only had heard of, or read about as folklore. Now I was able to read the facts. That was it, though! It was only factual information -- who ran, who won, and who lost. Pretty boring! I needed to know what the place smelled like! And what color the seats were.

Finding the people that were there was the magical thing about this project, and I went to places that I thought never existed in Tijuana! But what struck me the most was that not only did people in Mexico and the United States know about Caliente, but so did people from as far as away as Canada and the Philippines.

You have accumulated an impressive collection of Agua Caliente memorabilia. Many of the wonderful photos and artifacts are included in the book. How did you get started with collecting and how large is your collection now? Are there any “holy grail” items you are looking for?

In August 1971, my mom and I were walking up this street to get to my grandmother’s house in Tijuana. A man walking in front of me dropped a program, so I went for it. My mom told me not to pick it up, you never knew where it has been, blah blah blah! And that you and your father could always go the track and get a new one. It made sense. Right? No. The track burned down the next day!

Right after the reopening in 1974, I began collecting programs and Daily Racing Forms. But, during a hospitalization, my mom “cleaned out” my room. So I had nothing.

(Owner-trainer) Cliff Clayton gave me, or I should say, got me to clean out his garage by giving me a Daily Racing Form collection from 1964 to 1988, along with matching programs! That started it all. Then I discovered eBay! I’ve gotten plenty of programs and other memorabilia as well from there. I must have close to five thousand pieces related to Tijuana Racecourse and Agua Caliente. I am still looking for the “holy grail.” That would be any program with a famous horse in it: Phar Lap, Seabiscuit, Victorian.

Where were you when you heard about the fire in 1971 and how did you feel?

My backyard in San Ysidro, California, which is about six miles from the track. I got up that morning and I saw this humongous cloud of smoke coming from the hills in Tijuana. I went inside, and my mother told me that Caliente was burning. In the book, I describe people’s comments about the fire damage to the stands. Those were my mother’s comments. Her words in Spanish. And they were echoed by the hundreds of people that went to see Caliente after the fire. I began to watch the news on TV from that day on. There was plenty of coverage. I felt lost. I actually cried!

And similarly, where were you when the track closed down for good and how did you feel?

I was reading the paper at home. I said, “what now?” And I felt that Caliente would still be in operation should it have not fallen into the wrong hands. The Mexican government needs to recognize horse racing, live horse racing, as an industry that helps the agricultural aspect of that country’s economy, not only as a gambling entity. Once they see what could be accomplished through proper taxation, racing will return to Caliente. I received no help from the current management team at Caliente. In fact, they almost arrested me for asking questions about their photo archives!

Do you still consider yourself a racing fan and do you attend the races in Southern California or elsewhere?

Absolutely! I attend the races mostly in Southern California. I consider myself a $10 bettor, mostly win and place betting with an occasional pick-3 or Superfecta. Nothing fancy. Though I have vacationed in Mexico City and New York, where I had to go to the races. So I hope to go to other racetracks in the near future thanks to this book!

What do you hope readers take away from this book?

I hope that they can see what Caliente was -- an innovator. I can only hope that they realize that Caliente was more than a racetrack. I hope that they can now finally have an image to whatever they had only heard of before. And like me, I hope that they can now talk about Agua Caliente with the dignity and respect that old place deserves. Agua Caliente means so much and so many different things to so many people. I hope I did it justice!

Back to The Agua Caliente Story