Golden Gate Fields Picks

Located right along the San Francisco Bay in Berkeley is Golden Gate Fields – Northern California’s premier destination for horse racing.

It has since 1941, offered thoroughbred horse racing to the Bay Area while treating fans to some of the most fascinating sights and sounds in the world.

Golden Gate Fields reopened in 1947 after a short meet that was interrupted by World War II, and since then has produced many of the greatest thrills in horse racings.’

With the beautiful view of the Bay Area, Golden Gate Fields visitors enjoy the panoramic views of major landmarks such as the Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Golden Gate Field has since the closing of the Bay Meadows racetrack, become the only major racetrack in Northern California.

The Field track features lots of graded stakes and black-type listed stakes and runs during Winter/Spring from December to June and during fall from October to December. Some of those stakes include the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile Stakes, Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby, Silky Sullivan Handicap and Berkeley Handicap.

Asides the horse races; you can also enjoy the fine dining and entertainment at the race track. Guests have a lot of great dining options, including the elegant Turf Club, Tastes of Italy and Circle Bar. It also features simulcast rooms, a roomy Club House, and lots of general admission seating

The Golden Gate Field plays host to numerous fascinating events during the racing season including the popular “Dollar Days”, which feature one dollar admission, programs, parking, hotdogs, sodas, and beers.

Golden Gate Fields Track History

For 25 years, Golden Gate Fields was owned and managed by horseman and foreign car importer Kjell Qvale.

Subsequently, It was acquired by Magna Entertainment Corp who then filed for bankruptcy In March 2009. The current owners, the Stronach Group, acquired Golden Gate Fields on 3rd July 2011.

In 1950, The English bred Noor and the great Triple Crown winner Citation met in the Golden Gate Handicap. Noor beat Citation, prompting Citation’s rider, Steve B., to say, “We just can’t beat that horse.” The race is thought by some to be one of the most fascinating horse racing rivalries in history.

On February 22, 1972, the infield turf course was opened.

In 1974, on California Derby Day, Northern California racing history was made when The Golden gates track held the first $2 million dollar day

On another California Derby Day, Three years later, the attendance for the Bay area was 26,108. In 1980, Golden Gate Fields introduced a one-window wagering system where fans could bet and cash out in their winnings on the same day. The next year, they added Sunday to their racing calendar.

For Golden Gate Fields, 1984 was a banner year. They hit their first two million dollars a day mutual handle average. The meet which lasted for fifty-five days averaged $2,0004,409 in income. The handle average was off to the races after this mark. Golden Gate Fields was starting to look more attractive and soon drew the attention of a potential buyer. In 1989, the track was later acquired by Ladbroke Group PLC for $41 million.

Attendance continued to rise at Golden Gate fields. One year later, the track set a new attendance record with about 34,976 horse racing fans. That same year, the six million dollar plateau was passed.

In 1992, Russell Baze accomplished an amazing feat as he came first seven out of nine times setting the set a record for the most wins in a meet at 178 wins. The next year, Russell Baze became the 23rd jockey to record 4,000 victories.

In the summer of 2007, as mandated by the California Horse Racing Board, Golden Gate Fields installed a Tapeta all-weather racing surface. The synthetic racing surface ensures safer racing for both horses and riders.

Golden Gate Fields Configuration and Track Bias

The world-class Golden Gate Fields race track features a 7-furlong turf course and a one-mile all-weather main course.

• Main race track; 1-mile oval; 75 ft. wide backstretch, 78 ft. wide in the stretch, 383 ft. from the first line to the first turn and 1,000 ft. from the last turn to the finish.
• Lakeside Turf Course; 9/10 mile oval; 3/6 mile chute with a min. width of 50 ft. and max width of 75 ft. and a movable rail

Golden Gate Fields Racing Season

The Golden Gate Fields runs during the Spring and Fall and includes some of the finest and most anticipated races of the U.S Racing Calendar.

The two meets were organized from:

December to June; Golden Gate Fields Spring meeting

(August)October to December; Golden Gate Fields Fall meeting

The most popular stakes include the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile Stakes, Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby, Grade 3 All American Stakes and Berkeley Handicap

Graded Stakes

• San Francisco Mile Stakes- Grade 3 | 3-year-olds & up going 1 mi. on turf
  
• Berkeley Handicap- Grade 3 | 3-year-olds & up going 1-1/16 mi. on Tapeta
• All American Stakes –Grade 3| 3-year-olds & up going 1 mi. on Tapeta
• Golden Gate Fields Turf Stakes – Grade 3
• California Derby
• El Camino Real Derby – Grade 3| 3-year-olds going 1-1/8 mi. on Tapeta
• California Oaks
• Silky Sullivan Handicap
• Alcatraz Stakes
• Albany Stakes
• Campanile Stakes
• Golden Poppy

Ungraded Stakes

• 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
• China Basin Stakes
• Forty Niner Stakes, 3 Year Olds and up, one mile and 1/16. $75,000
• Gold Rush Stakes
• Golden Gate Fields Sprint, 4 Year Olds & Up, 6 furlongs, $75,000.
• Half Moon Bay Stakes
• Lost in the Fog Stakes
• Mill Valley Stakes
• Oakland Stakes, 3 Year Olds and up, six furlongs. $75,000
• Pacific Heights Stakes, 3 Year Olds and up (Cal-breds), one mile and 1/16. $75,000
• Raise Your Skirts, 4 Year Olds and up, Fillies & Mares, 6 furlongs, $75,000.
• Sausalito Stakes, 3 Year Olds and up, six furlongs. $75,000
• Silveyville Stakes, 1 and 1/16 mile, $73,500
• Stinson Beach Stakes, 3 Year Olds, six furlongs. $50,000
• Tiburon Handicap, 3 Year Old Fillies, six furlongs. $75,000
• Work the Crowd, 4 Year Olds & Up, Fillies & Mares (Cal-bred), 1 mile and 1/16, $75,000.
• Golden Nugget Stakes, $50,000

Golden Gate Fields Address

1100 Eastshore Highway,
Berkeley, CA 94710
Phone: (510) 559-7300
www.goldengatefields.com

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