Del Mar

Dodger Stadium and the racetrack at Del Mar. So different, and yet … so different.

At Del Mar, you are mesmerized by the stunning ocean views. Sit high enough at Dodger Stadium, and you can actually touch the L.A. smog!

At Del Mar, you and your friends can marvel at plastic surgeons' finest silicone creations. At Dodger Stadium, you might get a glimpse of …Tommy Lasorda.

Del Mar oozes Bing Crosby class. Dodger Stadium drools Leslie Nielsen crass.

Scenes from Nielsen's slapstick "Naked Gun" movie were filmed at Dodger Stadium. Del Mar serves as a backdrop in an episode of the ultra-hip HBO "Entourage" series.

In the celebrity suites at Del Mar, they serve grissini breadsticks, red pepper and garlic hummus, and fancy mixed nuts ($22.57 per small bowl). In the All-You-Can-Eat Pavilion at Dodger Stadium, boxes of nachos are stacked so high they are a hazard to low-flying aircraft.

Sushi and sashimi platters are available at Del Mar for $419.58 a pop. Fish taco vendors (Hey, is that really fish?) do brisk business outside Dodger Stadium.

When I think of Del Mar, I think of Crosby crooning: "Where the turf meets the surf down at old Del Mar. Take a plane, take a train, take a car. There's a smile on every face and a winner in each race."

When I think of Dodger Stadium, I can imagine Rage Against the Machine raging: "Where the scene ain't serene up in the Ravine. Grab a bus or boost a car, otherwise you ain't gettin' far. In every pocket there's a blade, Nomar handling the ball like it's a grenade, everyone subject to a raid -- by the bulls on parade."

Del Mar is the sort of place you might see George Clooney. Dodger Stadium is a good fit for Andy Rooney.

At Dodger Stadium, they do the wave, bounce beach balls through the bleachers and, in the nosebleed seats, make tiny parachutes out of napkins and delight as they drop toward the field. At Del Mar, they drink margaritas and lay down $1,000 trifectas.

Jay-P is a simple man who enjoys life's simple pleasures. He drinks nacho cheese shots with salsa chasers. Eats Dodger Dogs for breakfast. So it's understandable that he's over on the right side of the page enlightening you about the wonders of the Dodger Dump.

That's OK. Not everyone is into thoroughbreds. Not everyone should be.

Donkeys need love, too.

Contact sports editor Loren Nelson at (760) 740-3551 or lnelson@nctimes.com.