Clocker’s Corner

I didn’t think about horses when we were invited to meet up for breakfast the morning after my nephew’s wedding. I was unaware that it is possible to stroll from the Le Meridien Hotel to the track at Santa Anita, either. I wasn’t staying at the wedding hotel, so I followed GoogleMaps to Clocker’s Corner, but found myself off the roads shown by Google, in the middle of a parking area at the racetrack with a big gate and a guard.

Pulling up, I asked if Clocker’s Corner was nearby, and surprisingly, the guy gestured forward, saying, “Park anywhere, it’s around that fence.” So we did.

I had wondered why my brother emphasized meeting at 9 am. “They close at ten!” he said. I knew he must be mistaken, because what coffee shop closes at ten am? We walked around the indicated fence and found ourselves right alongside the racetrack at Santa Anita. Clocker’s Corner is exactly what its name indicates, a place where you can drink coffee, get a bite, and time horses during their morning workouts. The stand closes at ten because all the workouts are over by then.

It was a real pleasure to see such beautiful horses up close, and to watch them run past. I regretted not arriving earlier to see more. If you are in Pasadena, or anywhere near the Santa Anita track, find out if Clocker’s Corner is open, and be sure to get there early!