Lil Yachty, rapper and horse owner, attends his first ever race at Del Mar

DEL MAR — Rapper Lil Yachty made his first-ever appearance at the Del Mar racetrack on Saturday afternoon. It was his first time attending a horse race, ever — and he did it as a part-owner of two competing thoroughbreds.

“I’m actually afraid of horses,” the 27-year-old admitted while standing in the center of the racetrack’s paddock, a circle of horses parading the green around him. Among them was his own Punto Forty, who would later place fourth in the Best Pal Stakes, jockeyed by Antonio Fresu. His other horse, Listenupshance, won the first race with jockey Tyler Baze aboard.

Lil Yachty, whose full name is Miles Parks McCollum, is a co-owner of the celebrity racing company Run Fast Racing with fellow music stars Lil Wayne and Rauw Alejandro. The company was founded by music manager Adam Kluger, who also attended the races on Saturday.

“It was all Adam,” Lil Yachty said on why he’d decided to join the company. He had been the first to sign up, followed later by Lil Wayne and Alejandro.

Kluger, unlike Lil Yachty, is well-versed in the world of horse racing.

“I think I’ve been to about 20,000 races in my life,” he said. “I got arrested when I was 17 for being underage at the races. My mom had to come and pick me up.”

Currently, their company oversees 10 horses that have raced all over California. Back in June, their horse Sixhoofsevenhoof — named after Lil Wayne’s song, “6 Foot 7 Foot” — secured a win at the Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress. Although the team wasn’t able to clinch victories in both races at Del Mar, Kluger didn’t sweat it.

“I wanted at least one win today because it was his (Yachty’s) first time here,” he said. “That experience of winning is like, a different level.”

Kluger was inspired to start the company as a way to cross generational boundaries, as he’d maintained a long-time love for the sport, though he said it was missing a younger audience.

“Given the celebrity culture nowadays, the best way to get them interested is to essentially bait them with celebrity proximity,” said Kluger. “Once they’re here, I have a theory on how to get them excited about it. It’s a matter of short steps, long vision.”

Kluger’s theory did appear to play out, as the paddock filled with spectators upon Lil Yachty’s arrival, hungry for a glimpse — maybe even a photo — of the young rapper.

“It’s been good. It’s been totally chill,” said Lil Yachty.

Celebrity horse ownership is by no means a new phenomenon.

Crooner Bing Crosby helped found the Del Mar Racetrack in 1936, and both owned and bred racehorses. Steven Spielberg, M.C. Hammer, Dame Judi Dench and Bo Derek have all owned racehorses. Derek is even a sitting member on the executive board for the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, where she has advocated for strong horse safety regulations.

“Del Mar has had its share of celebrity horse owners over the years and they’re always welcome at turf and surf headquarters,” said Mac McBride, the director of media of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. “While we’ll likely have to take measures to ensure that celebrity owners are seated and cared for in a proper manner, we treat their horses no differently than we would any other horse for any other owner. We wish them well and hope our celebrities get to cheer them home.”

The health and safety of racehorses has been a contentious subject for decades, drawing consistent protests at the Del Mar track, including on Saturday. Kluger maintained that Run Fast Racing was going above and beyond to ensure the safety of their horses.

“We partner with HISA (the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority), and we’re actually going to be the first company that has AI software that goes on the back of the horses,” said Kluger. “Before the race, it’ll tell you if something’s wrong internally with them. We hope that’ll make a change.”

According to Equibase, Run Fast Racing has earned around $55,000 in its races in 2025. A full schedule of where racing fans can watch Lil Yachty’s horses has not been released. More information can be found at runfastracing.com.