One of the key figures of California Thoroughbred racing, Charles Henry Strub saw his life take him on all sorts of different directions. Businessman, dentist, father, and co-founder of one of the sport's greatest racetracks, the man known as "Doc" made an impact on people throughout his seventy-three years.

A native Californian, Strub was born in Hollister in 1884. He decided to pursue dentistry as a career, practicing in San Francisco. In addition to helping out patients, Strub, who was a baseball fan, got involved with the San Francisco Seals baseball team.