Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:2600 South Delaware Street
San Mateo, California
Our Sports Superfan Says:
Looking for a little excitement? Come to Bay Meadows Racetrack, one of the most tradition-laden tracks in America, and the longest continually operating racetrack in the Golden State. With the thrills and excitement of live thoroughbred racing, great giveaways, and special events, Bay Meadows offers a variety of options for your entertainment dollar.
Bay Meadows Racetrack, in San Mateo, California, features two thoroughbred racing seasons: a spring meet and a fall meet. The spring meet usually runs 55 days between April and June, while the fall meet typically runs for 50 days between August and November. Bay Meadows has a one mile (1.6 km) dirt oval and a seven furlong turf oval. The track can seat a capacity of 12,000, and the complex can stable as many as 900 horses on site.
Major races held by Bay Meadows Racetrack include the El Camino Real Derby, the Bay Meadows Racetrack Handicap, the Bay Meadows Racetrack Breeders' Cup Derby, and the California Sprint Championship. The El Camino Derby is Bay Meadows signature race. This race has proven to be a stepping stone to the Triple Crown Classic for such horses as Golden Act, Gate Dancer, Tanks Prospect, and Charismatic. The Bay Meadows Handicap is the longest continually run stakes event in California, and legendary Seabiscuit won back to back runnings of the Bay Meadows Handicap. Other famous horses to run the Handicap are Noor, Native Diver, and Majestic Prince.
Bay Meadows Racetrack was established by William P. Kyne in 1934 on a site that had once been a meadow and was near the bay, hence its name. The track opened on November 3, 1934, and attended by 15,000. The track quickly became one of the county's greatest attractions. Many celebrities, including entertainment personalities from the southern part of the state, came here to watch the races.
Bay Meadows Racetrack was a pioneer in its field. The innovative Kyne introduced pari-mutuel wagering, the popular Daily Double, the first all-enclosed starting gate, the totalizator board, and the photo-finish camera at Bay Meadows. Bay Meadows also features the Paddock, a unique indoor facility that allows for viewing of thoroughbreds under climate controlled conditions.
All of the exterior scenes in the 1956 Stanley Kubrick movie, "The Killing," were filmed at Bay Meadows. The track was renamed as Landsdowne for the movie, but the Bay Meadows name is visible in at least one early scene of the movie.
After the track failed to acquire a 2-year extension from the California Horse Racing Board of its deadline to replace its dirt oval with an artificial surface, for the safety of the horses, it was announced that Bay Meadows intended to close on November 4, 2007, immediately following its summer-fall season. However, on July 3, 2007, the California Horse Racing Board unanimously voted to approve a one-year exemption for Bay Meadows to continue horse racing in 2008 on its current racing surface.
At Bay Meadows you can really get "behind the scenes." Unique ground and barn tours are available. The ground tours are conducted by appointment on Sunday afternoons while live racing is going on at the track. While taking the tour, you will learn the rich history of Bay Meadows specifically, and about the horseracing industry in general. You can schedule a tour by sending an email to – info@baymeadows.com. The barn tour is extremely special. You will get an up close look at the four legged athletes, and see where they live and train to run the races. Barn tours are available for groups of 5 or more by contacting the Racing Director, Richard Lewis, at (650) 573-4502.
Bay Meadows Racecourse is located at 2600 South Delaware Street in San Mateo, California, approximately half-way between San Francisco and San Jose, and just ten miles south of San Francisco International Airport. The Cal Train, from both San Francisco and San Jose, stops throughout the day at the Hillsdale Station, which is adjacent to Bay Meadows' South Parking lot. During the racing season, local SamTrans buses also stop near Bay Meadows throughout the day.