Goodbye Bay Meadows

[DerbyCat]

The San Mateo city council has approved the plans for Bay Meadows to be demolished and replaced with condos, shops and office space. This historic track will have it's last day of live racing on August 18th (California Fair racing, the last day of the current meet is May 11th) and could be torn down as soon as this September.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmate...ews/ci_9011901


I am VERY sad about this Bay Meadows is my home away from home and I'm really going to miss it. The people there are like family to me, I fell in love with this game the first time I went there three years ago. I knew they were going to close the place down but I had hoped that they would continue to get extentions. The end really is near


If any DerbyTrailers are going to be at Bay Meadows this Saturday, I'm hosting a party at the Clubhouse Patio, come by and grab a beer - I'll be the one in the red Hawaiian print shirt with a DeeTee Stables hat on!

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by DerbyCat

The San Mateo city council has approved the plans for Bay Meadows to be demolished and replaced with condos, shops and office space. This historic track will have it's last day of live racing on August 18th (California Fair racing, the last day of the current meet is May 11th) and could be torn down as soon as this September.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmate...ews/ci_9011901


I am VERY sad about this Bay Meadows is my home away from home and I'm really going to miss it. The people there are like family to me, I fell in love with this game the first time I went there three years ago. I knew they were going to close the place down but I had hoped that they would continue to get extentions. The end really is near


If any DerbyTrailers are going to be at Bay Meadows this Saturday, I'm hosting a party at the Clubhouse Patio, come by and grab a beer - I'll be the one in the red Hawaiian print shirt with a DeeTee Stables hat on!

Sorry that this is official DC. Unfortunately, you can take that press release and insert in any number of tracks instead of Bay Meadows and that's what we will be seeing in the next decade.

[King Glorious]

As sad as it may be for some of the fans that go to these tracks, I think that for the long term success of the sport, this is needed.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

As sad as it may be for some of the fans that go to these tracks, I think that for the long term success of the sport, this is needed.

Just trying to understand..... do you mean Bay Meadows in particular or that the closing of (some) tracks will ultimately be a good thing for the sport? If so, how?

Bye, Baze Meadows.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

Just trying to understand..... do you mean Bay Meadows in particular or that the closing of (some) tracks will ultimately be a good thing for the sport? If so, how?

Bye, Baze Meadows.

I mean that I think the sport can use a lot more closures. I think there are too many tracks and way too many racing days out there. There are too many horses running out there. I think that a consolidated racing calender with less races and less racing days and less places to race would go a long way towards consolidating things and making for an overall better product. A couple of years ago, we had Lost in the Fog, Taste of Paradise, Greg's Gold, and a few other sprinters here in Cali. They had so many opportunities that they never all ended up facing each other in the same race. Or situations like when they run the Arlington Million and the Sword Dancer on the same day for the same class of horses. Three $500k+ preps for the Derby all on the same day. Colonial and Delaware running big money races for 3yo grass horses at the same time. Stupid stuff that doesn't do the sport any good. I think that racing continually shoots itself in the foot and overflooding the market is one of them.

[Scurlogue Champ]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I mean that I think the sport can use a lot more closures. I think there are too many tracks and way too many racing days out there. There are too many horses running out there. I think that a consolidated racing calender with less races and less racing days and less places to race would go a long way towards consolidating things and making for an overall better product. A couple of years ago, we had Lost in the Fog, Taste of Paradise, Greg's Gold, and a few other sprinters here in Cali. They had so many opportunities that they never all ended up facing each other in the same race. Or situations like when they run the Arlington Million and the Sword Dancer on the same day for the same class of horses. Three $500k+ preps for the Derby all on the same day. Colonial and Delaware running big money races for 3yo grass horses at the same time. Stupid stuff that doesn't do the sport any good. I think that racing continually shoots itself in the foot and overflooding the market is one of them.

Nicely said.

[SlewsMyHero]

Originally Posted by DerbyCat

I am VERY sad about this Bay Meadows is my home away from home and I'm really going to miss it. The people there are like family to me, I fell in love with this game the first time I went there three years ago. I knew they were going to close the place down but I had hoped that they would continue to get extentions. The end really is near

Derby Cat. I can understand your sadness. I grew up in the Bay Area, and spent many a day and evening at BM, too many when I think back. When I should have been in class at college, I found myself sitting in the grandstand at Bay Meadows. Since it's been many years since I've been there, I don't have the same connection to the place that you have. What I see now are small fields, and pretty low quality levels. It seems a far cry from what it once was. Back in the early 80's when I spent most of my time there, the quality of racing was excellent, and field sizes were good. Horses like Wild Again, Truce Maker and John Henry, among others raced there in good graded stakes. I'm not sure when or why it all changed, but the plethora of 5 horse fields is hard to take. It's been several years since I've wagered on a race there. I've never gotten a good answer as to why the field sizes are so small at BM, when they draw from the same pool of horses, trainers and owners as Golden Gate and the Fair Circuit.

I'm sad to see it go, but I won't miss the small field sizes.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by DerbyCat

The San Mateo city council has approved the plans for Bay Meadows to be demolished and replaced with condos, shops and office space. This historic track will have it's last day of live racing on August 18th (California Fair racing, the last day of the current meet is May 11th) and could be torn down as soon as this September.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmate...ews/ci_9011901


I am VERY sad about this Bay Meadows is my home away from home and I'm really going to miss it. The people there are like family to me, I fell in love with this game the first time I went there three years ago. I knew they were going to close the place down but I had hoped that they would continue to get extentions. The end really is near


If any DerbyTrailers are going to be at Bay Meadows this Saturday, I'm hosting a party at the Clubhouse Patio, come by and grab a beer - I'll be the one in the red Hawaiian print shirt with a DeeTee Stables hat on!

*note to self...send DC shirts for new wardrobe...

[stonegossard]

May Bay Meadows fly with the angels.......

[DerbyCat]

Originally Posted by GPK

*note to self...send DC shirts for new wardrobe...

Thanks Kev, not everyone can dress as well as a stylin' golf pro like yourself

[GPK]

Originally Posted by DerbyCat

Thanks Kev, not everyone can dress as well as a stylin' golf pro like yourself

I only wear those monkey like clothes to work. Im very much a jeans, t-shirt and flip flops kinda guy.

And Hawaiin shirts?? Come on...those are so out. I got rid of mine like 3 weeks ago.

[DerbyCat]

Originally Posted by GPK

I only wear those monkey like clothes to work. Im very much a jeans, t-shirt and flip flops kinda guy.

And Hawaiin shirts?? Come on...those are so out. I got rid of mine like 3 weeks ago.

Sorry Kev, but in my world it's always Aloha Friday I'm a firm believer in the Jimmy Buffett lifestyle - drink and don't worry, life is good!

[DerbyCat]

To those that think Bay Meadows closure is a good thing, perhaps it is better for the game in the long run. Yes, the fields are small and the same horses seem to run every three weeks and they're cr*ppy horses (well, not all of them) but they're horses (and trainers and jockeys) that I know and care about. And it's not like racing in Northern California is going away, we still have Golden Gate Fields and now they'll just have more dates at the Pleasanton track over in the East Bay (dates beyond the fair racing that's held there every summer). A lot of the trainers here have been running horses down in SoCal - Hollendorfer, Moger, Miyadi... and Art Sherman moved everything down there and left his son Steve to cover the northern tracks (and Steve's been doing really well, winning almost 30%). Those of you that know and play the big tracks back east will never understand the love that some of us have for the smaller tracks - look at how we used to get 100+ posts for a Monday night of Mountaineer racing - the big tracks and their money may be good for the financial future of racing but it's the smaller tracks that create and nurture some of the most committed racing fans.

I don't expect everyone to understand my love for a small track, I just wanted to let you know that a place important to horse racing history is closing... and that's really sad.

[sundaysilenceforever]

Originally Posted by DerbyCat

I don't expect everyone to understand my love for a small track, I just wanted to let you know that a place important to horse racing history is closing... and that's really sad.

DerbyCat~

I understand completely how you feel. When they shut down Centennial Race Track in Colorado in the early '80's, I went through the same feelings.
Although I was teenager then, the impact of that place not being there anymore, hit me harder years later, when I was older, and could really understand what was lost when they turned the land into condos.
Even today, everytime I drive by where it once stood, I get sad. My parents ran horses there for years, first QH's for a few years (when Wayne Lucas was also there w/QH, lol), then TB's. I grew up there, and like most racetracks, all of the perennial regulars were like one big family.


Here is a very interesting video of its history, for anyone who would be interested. When I look back at all of our win pictures, what strikes me the most is the incredible crowds of people that were always there. Its sad to see such sparse crowds at almost every racetrack now, when once upon a time, it was much different. I am sorry you are losing your track


http://player.broadbandvideo.com/Vid...&CheckPayment=

Centennial Race Track was a world class horse racing track in Littleton for more than thirty years. There are very few reminders of the track that remain today, and many area residents don’t even know the track existed. Centennial Race Track: Racing with the River examines the history of the track through the eyes of horse owners, trainers, a jockey, former track employees, and local horse racing fans. This documentary incorporates historical photos, over a dozen interviews, and rare racing footage from the track.

[alysheba4]

wow no more 4-5 horse fields in every race.......goodnight now.

[westcoastinvader]

Originally Posted by DerbyCat

The San Mateo city council has approved the plans for Bay Meadows to be demolished and replaced with condos, shops and office space. This historic track will have it's last day of live racing on August 18th (California Fair racing, the last day of the current meet is May 11th) and could be torn down as soon as this September.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmate...ews/ci_9011901


I am VERY sad about this Bay Meadows is my home away from home and I'm really going to miss it. The people there are like family to me, I fell in love with this game the first time I went there three years ago. I knew they were going to close the place down but I had hoped that they would continue to get extentions. The end really is near


If any DerbyTrailers are going to be at Bay Meadows this Saturday, I'm hosting a party at the Clubhouse Patio, come by and grab a beer - I'll be the one in the red Hawaiian print shirt with a DeeTee Stables hat on!

I think, hope and trust the "developers" of the Bay Meadows property will take a severe arse kicking in the wallet.

I'm not certain that parcel is all that marketable of a commodity these days.

[ALostTexan]

Did anyone catch the race calls on Sunday? Really cool how alot of the hisotric horses were running throughout the day...

Originally Posted by ALostTexan

Did anyone catch the race calls on Sunday? Really cool how alot of the hisotric horses were running throughout the day...

I listened to them all. Michael Wrona was terrific! He has a knack for stepping up on big days.

Cigar's streak at Arlington.

Pincay passes Shoe.

Baze passes Pincay.

I totally understand why Bay Meadows is leaving us.

Doesn't make me hate it any less.

VJS

[saratogabrit]

But what eventual number of tracks will be the right number for the sport in the long run?

To me 2008 is the new 1908. The sport under a sustained attack from those who want to destroy it. By 1908 there were only 25 tracks left in the US (down from a high point of 314 less than 20 years earlier)

Is this cycle of boom and bust what the future has in store for racing in the US?

More closures will mean that more fans are further than 100,200, 300 miles plus from their nearest racetrack.

Atlanta has held a recent Olympic Games, has teams in the major 4 professional sports but its citizens have to go nearly 400 miles to the nearest racecourse. Millions of Americans are completely disenfranchised from being able to follow racing and that number is set to rise.

[DerbyCat]

I spent the past week at Bay Meadows, I was there every day they had live racing. I will miss several things about Bay Meadows but like many of you, I won't miss the five horse fields that pay short prices. What I will miss has nothing to do with betting, it has to do with the people and the horses. I have gotten to know trainers, exercise riders, the staff that work there and many of the fans. There are horses that I have been watching run for years now and I'm happy when they and their connections do well. Those of you that go to the bigger tracks might not understand that there is a true sense of family at these smaller tracks and the loss of our "family home" is what hurts. Yes, I understand that Bay Meadows being torn down is perhaps better for the sport of horse racing and will provide more housing in an area that doesn't have enough, but like Vic, I hate it - I absolutely hate it.

There are so many stories I could tell you about the people at Bay Meadows, folks that have spent a lifetime either working or watching races at the track. The local paper did a four part series on the place ( Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4) and another Bay Area paper did a great story on an employee who has been working the windows for 63 years (SF Chronicle) - the people at Bay Meadows are what made it great and that's why so many of us were sad to say goodbye to each other on Sunday. I'm not a horse racing fans just because I like to gamble, I am a fan because of this track - if it weren't for Bay Meadows I never would have fallen in love with this sport.


Vic - Shannon (your TVG camera operator) was sad she didn't get to have you around for the last weekend, she said it wasn't the same without you - you should have seen her tears