Golden Gate Fields
Encyclopedia
Golden Gate Fields is an American horse racing
track
straddling both Albany, California
and Berkeley, California
along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay
adjacent to the Eastshore Freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area
. With the closing of the Bay Meadows
racetrack on May 11, 2008, it became the only major racetrack in Northern California.
The track is set on 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) of land in the cities of Albany and Berkeley; Golden Gate Fields' facilities currently include a one-mile (1,609 m) synthetic track and a turf course measuring 9/10 of a mile, or 7 furlongs plus 132 feet (1,448 m), stalls for 1,420 horses, a main grandstand with seating for approximately 8,000 customers, a clubhouse with seating for approximately 5,200 customers, a Turf Club with seating for approximately 1,500 customers and parking for over 8,500 cars. The synthetic track is called Tapeta, and was installed in the summer of 2007. http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/41942/tapeta-track-debuts-at-golden-gate
Owned and managed for 25 years by foreign car importer and horseman Kjell Qvale
, Golden Gate Fields is now part of the MI Developments Inc. (MID) (who also own Santa Anita Park
and the San Luis Rey Downs Training Center in Bonsall, California
).
which lies on the eastern shoreline of San Francisco Bay
. On the north, it is bordered by the Albany Bulb
, Albany Beach and Albany Plateau, undeveloped terrain over a former landfill, owned by the City of Albany
. To the east is Interstate 80
and to the south, the Berkeley Meadow. This tract lies on what was once a part of the slough into which three creeks drain: Schoolhouse Creek
, Codornices Creek
and Marin Creek
. The tract had originally been that portion of the Rancho San Antonio owned by José Domingo Peralta. He sold it in July 1852 to John Fleming, who used it as a transhipment point for sending his cattle across the bay to San Francisco for slaughter and processing. Later in the 19th century, it was the site of the Giant Powder Company, a manufacturer of black powder, dynamite
and nitroglycerin. Between 1879 and 1892, the plant blew up four times.
Just before World War II
, Golden Gate Fields built its new grandstand up against the eastern slope of Fleming Point, and adjacent marshland was filled in for the track. The inaugural meet was on February 1, 1941. In the period just before the war, the track was used as the scene of the crime central to the plot of the movie Shadow of the Thin Man
. With the onset of World War II, the United States Navy
took over the property as the "Albany Naval Landing Force Equipment Depot" for storing hundreds of landing craft
destined for use in the Pacific theater. After the war, Golden Gate Fields resumed horse racing.
In 1950, Citation
and Noor
met in the Golden Gate Handicap. The English bred Noor beat the great Triple Crown
winner Citation, prompting Citation's rider, Steve Brooks
, to say, "We just can't beat that horse."
In 1957, the horse Silky Sullivan
came to the track and with him came the excitement that followed him throughout his life. Until the death of Lost in the Fog
, he was also the only horse to be buried in the infield. Lost in the Fog's plaque is the third to be placed at Golden Gate Fields, found near the one for Silky Sullivan and that for Bill Shoemaker.
The infield turf course was opened on February 22, 1972.
In 1974, the first $2 million dollar day in Northern California
was held on California Derby Day
.
In 1984, the great gelding
John Henry
set a course record winning the Golden Gate Handicap.
Before his death in 2006, Lost in the Fog
was based here. On September 17, 2006, he was euthanized
due to inoperable tumors found on his spleen and along his spine. Prior to his early death, Lost in the Fog ran three races at his home base — winning twice, and placing once. On September 30, 2006 Golden Gate Fields held a celebration of his life.
During the summer of 2007, the racetrack installed a polymer synthetic type racing surface as mandated by the California Horse Racing Board
. The Tapeta Footings synthetic all-weather racing surface is designed to make racing safer for both horses and riders.
On February 1, 2008, on board the horse Two Step Cat, Russell Baze
got his 10,000th career win as a jockey.
The multiple Graded stakes
winning Hystericalady
, half sister to Funny Cide
and Commentator
, is based here.
With the loss of Bay Meadows to developers in 2008, Golden Gate Fields has become Northern California's only major racetrack (aside from racetracks that host the summer fair circuit). Its stakes schedule (graded and ungraded) is in flux as officials of California racing shuffle the racing season. Golden Gate Fields may return to offering both Spring and Autumn racing, with more racing dates. On May 2, 2009, the Silky Sullivan Handicap
ran again after a hiatus of two years.
, the local public transit agency, provided a seasonal bus service, line 304, between the track and North Berkeley BART station until 2008. The track is also accessible from the Gilman Street and Albany exits of the Eastshore Freeway, as well as from adjacent city streets. The San Francisco Bay Trail
, a bicycle and walking path, runs to the north and south edge of the track, but does not go through, leaving a gap. In 2009 East Shore Charter Lines was contracted to provide the racetrack with a new free service from the BART station.
It hosts numerous overnight handicaps and ungraded stakes events.
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
track
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
straddling both Albany, California
Albany, California
Albany is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 18,539 at the 2010 census.-History:In 1908, a group of local women protested the dumping of Berkeley garbage in their community...
and Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
adjacent to the Eastshore Freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. With the closing of the Bay Meadows
Bay Meadows
Bay Meadows was a horse racing track in San Mateo, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States.-History:Built on the site of an old airfield, Bay Meadows Racecourse was the longest continually operating thoroughbred racetrack in California, having been founded on November 13,...
racetrack on May 11, 2008, it became the only major racetrack in Northern California.
The track is set on 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) of land in the cities of Albany and Berkeley; Golden Gate Fields' facilities currently include a one-mile (1,609 m) synthetic track and a turf course measuring 9/10 of a mile, or 7 furlongs plus 132 feet (1,448 m), stalls for 1,420 horses, a main grandstand with seating for approximately 8,000 customers, a clubhouse with seating for approximately 5,200 customers, a Turf Club with seating for approximately 1,500 customers and parking for over 8,500 cars. The synthetic track is called Tapeta, and was installed in the summer of 2007. http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/41942/tapeta-track-debuts-at-golden-gate
Owned and managed for 25 years by foreign car importer and horseman Kjell Qvale
Kjell Qvale
Kjell Qvale is a Norwegian-American business executive. Qvale is one of the key figures in the creation of the Jensen-Healey. Qvale became the first distributor for Jaguar on the Pacific West Coast. Qvale is one of the founders of the San Francisco Auto Show.-Early life:Kjell Qvale was born in...
, Golden Gate Fields is now part of the MI Developments Inc. (MID) (who also own Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
and the San Luis Rey Downs Training Center in Bonsall, California
Bonsall, California
Bonsall is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. The population was 3,982 at the 2010 census, up from 3,401 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bonsall is located just east of Oceanside and Camp Pendleton....
).
History
Golden Gate Fields held its inaugural meet on February 1, 1941. The racetrack is situated on a tract of land bordered on the west by Fleming Point, a rocky promontoryPromontory
Promontory may refer to:*Promontory, a prominent mass of land which overlooks lower lying land or a body of water*Promontory, Utah, the location where the United States first Transcontinental Railroad was completed...
which lies on the eastern shoreline of San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. On the north, it is bordered by the Albany Bulb
Albany Bulb
The Albany Bulb is a former landfill largely owned by the City of Albany, in California. The Bulb is the west end of a landfill peninsula jutting west from the east shore of San Francisco Bay...
, Albany Beach and Albany Plateau, undeveloped terrain over a former landfill, owned by the City of Albany
Albany, California
Albany is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 18,539 at the 2010 census.-History:In 1908, a group of local women protested the dumping of Berkeley garbage in their community...
. To the east is Interstate 80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
and to the south, the Berkeley Meadow. This tract lies on what was once a part of the slough into which three creeks drain: Schoolhouse Creek
Schoolhouse Creek
Schoolhouse Creek is the name of a creek which flows through the city of Berkeley, California in the San Francisco Bay Area.-History:The creek acquired its name from a school which was sited adjacent to it, the Ocean View School...
, Codornices Creek
Codornices Creek
Codornices Creek , long, is one of the principal creeks which runs out of the Berkeley Hills in the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area in California. In its upper stretch, it passes entirely within the city limits of Berkeley, and marks the city limit with the adjacent city of Albany in...
and Marin Creek
Marin Creek
Marin Creek is a creek tributary of Codornices Creek in northwestern Alameda County, California. The lower stretch of Marin Creek is also known as Village Creek.-Overview:...
. The tract had originally been that portion of the Rancho San Antonio owned by José Domingo Peralta. He sold it in July 1852 to John Fleming, who used it as a transhipment point for sending his cattle across the bay to San Francisco for slaughter and processing. Later in the 19th century, it was the site of the Giant Powder Company, a manufacturer of black powder, dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
and nitroglycerin. Between 1879 and 1892, the plant blew up four times.
Just before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Golden Gate Fields built its new grandstand up against the eastern slope of Fleming Point, and adjacent marshland was filled in for the track. The inaugural meet was on February 1, 1941. In the period just before the war, the track was used as the scene of the crime central to the plot of the movie Shadow of the Thin Man
Shadow of the Thin Man
Shadow of the Thin Man is the fourth of the six The Thin Man films. It was released in 1941 and was directed by W. S. Van Dyke. It stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. Also, in this film their son Nick Jr. is old enough to figure in the comic subplot...
. With the onset of World War II, the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
took over the property as the "Albany Naval Landing Force Equipment Depot" for storing hundreds of landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
destined for use in the Pacific theater. After the war, Golden Gate Fields resumed horse racing.
In 1950, Citation
Citation (horse)
Citation was the eighth American Triple Crown winner, and one of three major North American Thoroughbreds to win at least 16 consecutive races in major stakes race competition...
and Noor
Noor (horse)
Noor was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse Champion who competed successfully in the United Kingdom and the United States. Given the Arabic name meaning "Light", Noor was sired by five-time U.S. leading sire Nasrullah...
met in the Golden Gate Handicap. The English bred Noor beat the great Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
winner Citation, prompting Citation's rider, Steve Brooks
Steve Brooks (jockey)
Steve Brooks was an American Hall of Fame jockey. The son of a horse dealer, he was born in rural Nebraska near the village of Culbertson...
, to say, "We just can't beat that horse."
In 1957, the horse Silky Sullivan
Silky Sullivan
Silky Sullivan was an American thoroughbred race horse best known for his come-from-behind racing style...
came to the track and with him came the excitement that followed him throughout his life. Until the death of Lost in the Fog
Lost in the Fog
Lost in the Fog was an American thoroughbred race horse. He won his first 10 starts , 11 of his 14 lifetime starts across the country, and career earnings of $978,099 until his life was cut short by lymphoma during his four-year-old season.-Bloodlines:Bred by Susan Seper and foaled in Florida, his...
, he was also the only horse to be buried in the infield. Lost in the Fog's plaque is the third to be placed at Golden Gate Fields, found near the one for Silky Sullivan and that for Bill Shoemaker.
The infield turf course was opened on February 22, 1972.
In 1974, the first $2 million dollar day in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
was held on California Derby Day
California Derby
The California Derby is a race for Thoroughbred horses held early in the year at Golden Gate Fields. An ungraded stakes, it's open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt...
.
In 1984, the great gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
John Henry
John Henry (horse)
John Henry was an American Thoroughbred race horse who had 39 wins, with $6,591,860 in earnings. He was twice voted the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year in 1981 and 1984, with his 1981 selection is the only one whereby the victor received all votes cast for that award. John Henry was also...
set a course record winning the Golden Gate Handicap.
Before his death in 2006, Lost in the Fog
Lost in the Fog
Lost in the Fog was an American thoroughbred race horse. He won his first 10 starts , 11 of his 14 lifetime starts across the country, and career earnings of $978,099 until his life was cut short by lymphoma during his four-year-old season.-Bloodlines:Bred by Susan Seper and foaled in Florida, his...
was based here. On September 17, 2006, he was euthanized
Animal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
due to inoperable tumors found on his spleen and along his spine. Prior to his early death, Lost in the Fog ran three races at his home base — winning twice, and placing once. On September 30, 2006 Golden Gate Fields held a celebration of his life.
During the summer of 2007, the racetrack installed a polymer synthetic type racing surface as mandated by the California Horse Racing Board
California Horse Racing Board
The California Horse Racing Board was established in 1933 as an independent agency of the State of California, United States. The CHRB has authority over the regulation of horse racing and parimutuel betting at licensed California race tracks...
. The Tapeta Footings synthetic all-weather racing surface is designed to make racing safer for both horses and riders.
On February 1, 2008, on board the horse Two Step Cat, Russell Baze
Russell Baze
Russell Avery Baze is a horse racing jockey. He holds the record for the most race wins in North American horse racing history, and is a member of the United States Racing Hall of Fame....
got his 10,000th career win as a jockey.
The multiple Graded stakes
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
winning Hystericalady
Hystericalady
Hystericalady , is a multiple stakes winning American Thoroughbred race horse. Bred in Kentucky by Abbott Properties, Hystericalady is the best daughter of the leading sire Distorted Humor, a half sister to dual Classic winner Funny Cide, and still racing at five. She’s a daughter of 1991 Chilean...
, half sister to Funny Cide
Funny Cide
Funny Cide is a Thoroughbred race horse who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes in 2003. He is the first New York-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby and the first gelding to win since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929.-Bloodlines:...
and Commentator
Commentator (horse)
Commentator , is an American Thoroughbred race horse by the stallion Distorted Humor, sire of 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide. Like Funny Cide, Commentator is a New York bred as well as a gelding...
, is based here.
With the loss of Bay Meadows to developers in 2008, Golden Gate Fields has become Northern California's only major racetrack (aside from racetracks that host the summer fair circuit). Its stakes schedule (graded and ungraded) is in flux as officials of California racing shuffle the racing season. Golden Gate Fields may return to offering both Spring and Autumn racing, with more racing dates. On May 2, 2009, the Silky Sullivan Handicap
Silky Sullivan Handicap
The Silky Sullivan Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run each year at Golden Gate Fields in the San Francisco Bay Area. Named for the "Heart Attack Horse," the great closer Silky Sullivan, the race was a mile and an eighth, or 9 furlong Grade III turf race——run on grass——with a...
ran again after a hiatus of two years.
Bankruptcy
In December 2008, it was reported that Magna Entertainment, the owner of Golden Gate Fields, was in serious financial difficulties and had hired a law firm specializing in bankruptcies and reorganization. In March 2009, Magna filed for bankruptcy, saying that racing would be unaffected.Transportation
AC TransitAC Transit
AC Transit is an Oakland-based regional public transit agency serving the western half of Alameda County and parts of western Contra Costa County in the western, Bay-side area of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area...
, the local public transit agency, provided a seasonal bus service, line 304, between the track and North Berkeley BART station until 2008. The track is also accessible from the Gilman Street and Albany exits of the Eastshore Freeway, as well as from adjacent city streets. The San Francisco Bay Trail
San Francisco Bay Trail
The San Francisco Bay Trail is a bicycle and pedestrian trail that will eventually allow continuous travel around the shoreline of San Francisco Bay. As of 2011, approximately 310 miles of trail have been completed...
, a bicycle and walking path, runs to the north and south edge of the track, but does not go through, leaving a gap. In 2009 East Shore Charter Lines was contracted to provide the racetrack with a new free service from the BART station.
Racing events
Golden Gate Fields is home to the following graded stakes:- Grade 2 San Francisco Mile Stakes
- Grade 3 All American StakesAll American StakesThe All American Stakes is a Thoroughbred race for horses three-years-old and up and run at East Bay track, Golden Gate Fields, at a distance of one and one eighth miles. It offers a purse of $150,000....
- Grade 3 Berkeley HandicapBerkeley HandicapThe Berkeley Handicap is a Grade III race for thoroughbred horses held on the dirt at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California, United States. Highlighting the Labor Day weekend, it's a race for three-year-olds and up of either gender and run at a distance of one and one sixteenth mile...
- Grade 3 El Camino Real DerbyEl Camino Real DerbyThe El Camino Real Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held in February at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California. The race is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-eight miles on Tapeta. A Grade III event, it offers a purse of $150,000.Northern California's premier...
. - Grade 3 Golden Gate Fields TurfGolden Gate Fields TurfThe Golden Gate Fields Turf Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California.- Winners of the Golden Gate Fields Turf Stakes :...
, 4 Year Olds and up, 1 mile and 3/8 (11 furlongs), $100,000g, turf. - Grade 3 Golden Gate DerbyGolden Gate DerbySEE California Derby.The Golden Gate Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race run early each year at Golden Gate Fields set at a distance of one and one sixteenth of a mile...
aka the California DerbyCalifornia DerbyThe California Derby is a race for Thoroughbred horses held early in the year at Golden Gate Fields. An ungraded stakes, it's open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt...
. - Grade 3 The Silky Sullivan HandicapSilky Sullivan HandicapThe Silky Sullivan Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run each year at Golden Gate Fields in the San Francisco Bay Area. Named for the "Heart Attack Horse," the great closer Silky Sullivan, the race was a mile and an eighth, or 9 furlong Grade III turf race——run on grass——with a...
for California breds, run on the grass. - Grade 3 Yerba Buena Handicap
It hosts numerous overnight handicaps and ungraded stakes events.
- Alcatraz Stakes, 3 year olds, eight and a half furlongFurlongA furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s, turf, $75,000 - Tanforan Stakes, 3 Year Olds and up, one mile and 3/8, turf. $75,000
- Miss America Stakes, Fillies and mares, 3 Year Olds and up, one mile and 1/8, turf. $75,000
- Corte Madera Stakes, 2 Year Old Fillies, one mile. $75,000
- California OaksCalifornia OaksThe California Oaks is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early January at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, California. Open to three-year-old fillies, it is contested on Tapeta Footings synthetic dirt over a distance of a mile and a sixteenth .- Records :Speed record: * 1-1/16...
- China Basin StakesChina Basin StakesThe China Basin Stakes is an ungraded stakes race for three-year-olds and up, run over a distance of eight and a half furlongs on the turf, or one and one/sixteenth mile. Run each year at Golden Gate Fields, it offers a purse of $55,000....
- Gold Rush StakesGold Rush StakesThe Gold Rush Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds run at Golden Gate Fields in mid-December. An ungraded stakes set at distance of one mile on Tapeta Footings, the Gold Rush offers a purse of $75,000....
- Half Moon Bay StakesHalf Moon Bay StakesThe Half Moon Bay Stakes is an American ungraded stakes race for Thoroughbred horses held on the grass at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California...
- Lost in the FogLost in the Fog (Sprint)The Lost in the Fog Stakes is an American ungraded stakes run at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California for Thoroughbred two-year-old horses. A five-furlong sprint, the race is named in honor of Lost in the Fog, the brilliant sprinter who made his name between 2004 and 2006 before dying of...
- Pacific Heights StakesPacific Heights StakesThe Pacific Heights Stakes is run each year at Golden Gate Fields in the San Francisco Bay Area. Named for a hilly section of the city of San Francisco, it's a race restricted to California bred fillies and mares, 3 years old and up, and run at a distance of 8 furlongs on the turf.An ungraded...
, 3 Year Olds and up (Cal-breds), one mile and 1/16. $75,000 - Mill Valley StakesMill Valley StakesThe Mill Valley Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run each year at Golden Gate Fields. An ungraded stakes, it's open to three year olds, and up....
- Raise Your Skirts, 4 Year Olds and up, Fillies & Mares, 6 furlongs, $75,000.
- Tiburon HandicapTiburon HandicapThe Tiburon Handicap is an American Thoroughbred ungraded stakes race for three-year-old fillies run early each year at Golden Gate Fields. Set at a distance of six furlongs, the sprint now offers a purse of $75,000....
, 3 Year Old Fillies, six furlongs. $75,000 - Sausalito Stakes, 3 Year Olds and up, six furlongFurlongA furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s. $75,000 - Forty Niner Stakes, 3 Year Olds and up, one mile and 1/16. $75,000
- Campanile Stakes, Fillies and mares, 4 Year Old and up, one mile and 1/16. $75,000
- Stinson Beach Stakes, 3 Year Olds, six furlongs. $50,000
- Oakland Stakes, 3 Year Olds and up, six furlongs. $75,000
- Golden Poppy, 3 Year Old Fillies, 1 mile and 1/16 on the turf. $75,000.
- Golden Gate Fields Sprint, 4 Year Olds & Up, 6 furlongs, $75,000.
- Work the Crowd, 4 Year Olds & Up, Fillies & Mares (Cal-bred), 1 mile and 1/16, $75,000.
- Silveyville Stakes, 1 and 1/16 mile, $73,500
- Golden Nugget Stakes, $50,000
Pop culture references
- Punk rock band RancidRancid (band)Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
wrote and performed the song "GGF", about lead singer Tim ArmstrongTim ArmstrongTimothy Lockwood Armstrong is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work with punk rock bands Rancid, Operation Ivy, Downfall, and the Transplants. He is also the owner and operator of Hellcat Records.-Personal life:Armstrong was born November 25, 1965 and was...
's childhood near Golden Gate Fields, on their 2000 self-titled album. - Golden Gate fields was featured in the Rancid video "Last one to die"
- In On the RoadOn the RoadOn the Road is a novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, written in April 1951, and published by Viking Press in 1957. It is a largely autobiographical work that was based on the spontaneous road trips of Kerouac and his friends across mid-century America. It is often considered a defining work of...
by Jack KerouacJack KerouacJean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
, Sal Paradise visits Golden Gate Fields with his friend Remi Boncœur who loses all their money before the seventh race. - In the movie "Metro" starring Eddie Murphy and Michael Rappaport, Murphy's character is seen at Golden Gate Fields betting on a race and blaming Russel Baze for losing his money.
External links
- Golden Gate Fields website
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/ibison4/sets/72057594075815710/Photos of Golden Gate Fields, including memorial plaque for Silky SullivanSilky SullivanSilky Sullivan was an American thoroughbred race horse best known for his come-from-behind racing style...
and Lost in the FogLost in the FogLost in the Fog was an American thoroughbred race horse. He won his first 10 starts , 11 of his 14 lifetime starts across the country, and career earnings of $978,099 until his life was cut short by lymphoma during his four-year-old season.-Bloodlines:Bred by Susan Seper and foaled in Florida, his...
] - Golden Gate Fields facebook fan page