Golden Gate Fields

Golden Gate Fields is a 225-acre, two track, thoroughbred horse racing facility in Albany, California. Its racing seasons typically run from January to April and from November to December.

Golden Gate Fields is one of California's top race tracks and it regularly hosts many of the state's big stakes events. Among these are the Work the Crowd Handicap, Golden Gate Derby, Brown Bess Handicap, Ken Maddy Sprint, El Camino Real Derby and Berkeley Handicap.

Golden Gate Fields Track Facts

 

Main Track

  • Dirt course
  • One-mile oval (sandy loam)
  • Width in stretch, 78 feet
  • Backstretch, 75 feet
  • Distance from last turn to finish, 1,000 feet
  • Distance from finish line to first turn, 383 feet

Lakeside Turf Course

  • Nine-tenths mile oval
  • 65 feet wide throughout
  • Three-sixteenths mile chute
  • Maximum width, 75 feet
  • Minimum width, 50 feet with movable rail

Paddock

  • 225 acres

Seating Capacity

  • 14,750 people (Grandstand 7,960; Club House 5,230; Turf Club 1,560)

Stable Area Capacity

  • Stalls for 1,420 thoroughbreds

Track Records

DIST RECORD HORSE AGE WGT DATE
2F :21 4/5 gd The Money Doctor 2 118 Feb 21, 1975
4F :47 sy Glenbar 2 118 Mar 12, 1952
  :47 Giddy Up 2 115 Mar 25, 1952
4 1/2F :50 1/5 Victory Found 2 117 Apr 8, 1990
5F 0:56 2/5 Valley Land 5 119 Apr 8, 1990
5 1/2F 1:02 Proudest Hour 4 114 May 30, 1986
6F 1:07:55 El Dorado Shooter 4 114 Jan 20, 2001
1M 1:33 Caros Love 4 117 Feb 13, 1988
1 1/16M 1:39 2/5 Restless Con 4 118 Jun 24, 1991
1 1/8M* 1:45 Simply Majestic 4 114 Apr 2, 1988
1 3/16M† 1:52 3/5 Fleet Bird 4 123 Oct 24, 1953
1 1/4M† 1:58 1/5 Noor 4 127 Jun 24, 1950
1 3/8 2:18 3/5 Forin Sea 5 114 Dec 15, 1990
1 1/2M 2:29 2/5 Bo Donna 4 120 Jun 8, 1979
1 3/4 2:57 1/5 Sirmark 5 103 Oct 16, 1948
2 M 3:25 4/5 Mantourist 5 117 Oct 23, 1948

Lakeside Turf Course Records

DIST RECORD HORSE AGE WGT DATE
4 1/2F 0:50 2/5 Bonnie Nuite 5 121 May 22, 1994
5F 0:56 Black Tornado
L'Natural
Goldie's Goldian
5
4
4
119
114
115
May 10, 1975
May 28, 1977
May 27, 1978
7 1/2F 1:28 Struttin' George
His Honor
Clever Song
5
6
4
122
118
122
May 5, 1979
Apr, 25 1981
May 25, 1986
1M 1:33 2/5 Don Alberto 5 114 Mar 22, 1980
1 1/16M 1:40 2/5 Announcer 5 115 Apr 16, 1977
1 1/16M
(chute start)
1:41 1/5 Gum 6 118 Apr 11, 1992
1 1/8M (chute start) 1:47.71 Blues Traveller 4 112 May 14, 1994
1 3/8M 2:13 John Henery 9 125 May 6, 1984
1 1/2M 2:27 2/5 Silveyville
Kings Island
Val Danseur
6
4
6
121
116
119
Jun 10, 1984
Jun 9, 1985
Jun 8, 1986
1 7/8 3:12 1/5 Paired And Painted 4 114 Jun 28, 1987
2 miles (Chute Start) 3:25 3/5 Never-Rust 8 114 Jun 26, 1988
2 3/8 miles 4:10 4/5 Situada 7 115 Jun 25, 1990

Golden Gate Fields History

1941

 

The gates opened for the first time on February 1.

     
1977   On arch 5, a modern day on-track attendance record for the Bay Area was set as 26,108 fans turned out to see riding sensation, Steve Cauthen, make his local debut aboard Make Amends.
     
1980   On February 7, the track introduced one-window wagering through the American Tote 300.
1981   On May 10, after an eight-year absence, Sunday racing returned to Northern California.
     
1988   On May 7, Northern California attendance and handle records fell as on-track and satellite crowds totaled 34,408 and wagering $5,715,683.
     
1992   On April 16, Russell Baze established a Northern California record for most victories on a single card.

On June 10, Russell Baze set a Golden Gate Fields record for most wins in a meet with his 165th victory.
     
1995   On May 6, the track eclipsed the $7 million mark in handle for the first time in Northern California history. A total of $7,093,420 was wagered at Golden Gate and its satellite facilities.

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