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Golden Gate Fields is a Horse racing track in Albany, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area.
History
Golden Gate Fields commenced its inaugural meet on February 1, 1941. 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, Silky Sullivan came to the track and with him came the excitement that followed him throughout his life. Silky Sullivan (the loveable laggard), one of the true legends in horse racing, is honored by having a stakes race in his name run every year at Golden Gate Fields. He is also the only horse to be buried in the infield.
On February 22, 1972, the infield turf course opened. 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.
Today, the sprinter Lost in the Fog is based there.
Physical attributes
The track has a one-mile dirt oval and a nine-tenths of a mile turf course.
Racing
Golden Gate Fields is the home of six graded stakes:
- Grade 2 San Francisco Breeder's Cup
- Grade 3 Yerba Buena Breeder's Cup Handicap
- Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap
- Grade 3 Golden Gate Fields Handicao
- Grade 3 Silky Sullivan run on the grass.
- Grade 3 All American Handicap
It hosts numerous overnight handicaps and ungraded stakes events.
See also
Sports in the San Francisco Bay Area | Horse racing venues in the United States | Sports venues in California | Alameda County, California
"Golden Gate Fields"