Bay Meadows Horseracing
Bay Meadows is a thoroughbred racing facility in San Mateo, California. The facility's size is approximately 90 acres, it has two tracks and features two 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 50 days between August and November.
Bay Meadows is one of the most tradition-laden racetracks in America. It is also the longest continually operating racetrack in the Golden State.
Major races held by Bay Meadows include the El Camino Real Derby, the Bay Meadows Handicap, the Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Derby and the $125,000 California Sprint Championship.
The facilities at Bay Meadows include a one-mile oval track with 1¼-mile and ¾-mile chutes and a 7/8-mile turf course. MEC acquired the operations of Bay Meadows and leased the facility in November 2000.
Bay Meadows Facts
- Main Track Data
- One mile oval with 1-1/4-mile and 6-furlong chutes
- Length of stretch, 990 feet
- Width in stretch, 85 feet
- Backstretch, 75 feet
- Oval measures 7 furlongs, 32 feet (4,625 feet)
- Maximum width, 75 feet
- Minimum width, 50 feet
- Equipped with movable rail
- Stalls for 900 thoroughbreds in 5 barns
- 9,500 (Grandstand 7,400; Club House 1,000; Turf Club 1,100)
Longden Turf Course
Stable Area Capacity
Total Seating Capacity
Bay Meadows Track Records
| Main Track |
| DIST | RECORD | HORSE | AGE | JOCKEY | DATE |
| 4F | 0:46 2/5 | Ima Dear | 2 | JG. Burns | Apr 2, 1935 |
| 4 1/2F | 0:50.63 | My Jasmine | 3 | N. Chaves | Aug 13, 1997 |
| 5F | 0:56 3/5 | Rathsallah | 7 | A. Lopez | Mar 23, 1995 |
| 5 1/2F | 1:01.69 | Arches Of Gold | 5 | V. Belvoir | Nov 23, 1994 |
| 6F | 1:07 1/5 | Black Jack Road | 6 | R.D. Hansen | Oct 28, 1990 |
| 7 1/2F | 1:30 2/5 | Lookabout | 3 | D. McCown | Nov 26, 1936 |
| 1M | 1:33 3/5+ | Aristocratical* | 5 | F. Mena | Sep 10, 1983 |
| 1 1/16M | 1:38 2/5++ | Hoedown's Day | 5 | T.M. Chapman | Oct 23, 1983 |
| 1 1/8M | 1:46 1/5 | Super Moment | 3 | F. Toro | Dec 13, 1980 |
| 1 3/16M | 1:52 4/5 | Force Of Reason | 5 | W.M. Winland | Nov 5, 1983 |
| 1 1/4M | 2:00 2/5 | Ask Father | 7 | W. Mahoney | Sep 28, 1968 |
| 1 1/2M | 2:27 3/5 | Cattle Creek | 3 | F. Olivares | Dec 8, 1979 |
| 1 5/8M | 2:43 1/5gd | Rag King | 4 | T.T. Doocy | Dec 15, 1990 |
| Longden Turf Course |
| DIST | RECORD | HORSE | AGE | JOCKEY | DATE |
| 4 1/2F | 0:50.41 | Salta's Pride | 4 | R. Gonzalez | Apr 2, 1935 |
| 7F | 1:24.23 | First Flyer | 4 | N. Chavez | Aug 13, 1997 |
| 7 1/2F | 1:28 4/5 | Hegemony | 4 | D.G. McHargue | Mar 23, 1995 |
| 1M | 1:34 3/5 | Position's Best | 7 | T.T. Doocy | Nov 23, 1994 |
| 1 1/16M | 1:40 1/5 | Dreamer | 5 | R. Baze | Oct 28, 1990 |
| 1 1/8M | 1:45 2/5 | Caesour | 6 | R. Baze | Nov 26, 1936 |
| 1 3/8M | 2:16 2/5 | Golden Doc Ray | 9 | A.L. Diaz | Sep 10, 1983 |
| abt.1 3/8M | 2:17 1/5 | Scruples | 4 | E. Delahoussaye | Oct 23, 1983 |
| 1 1/2M | 2:31 2/5 | Swiss Conviction | 4 | R. Warren Jr. | Dec 13, 1980 |
Bay Meadows Major Milestones
- The establishment of Bay Meadows by William P. Kyne in 1934 may have been the most important development in shaping the future of San Mateo, California. The tracks became one of the county's greatest attractions. Many celebrities, including entertainment personalities from the southern part of the state, came to watch the races.
- Bay Meadows is home to the longest-running stakes event in California - the Bay MeadowsHandicap. This race was inaugurated in 1934 and was won by the legendary Seabiscuit in 1937 and 1938.
- Another prominent racing event, the Bay Meadows Derby for 3-year-olds debuted in 1954. Its first winner was Determine, a California-bred horse who won the Kentucky Derby three weeks later.
- Bay Meadows remained open during World War II. In fact, the track was able to generate more than $4 million for War Relief Projects.
- Famous jockeys who have raced and called Bay Meadows home include Bill Shoemaker, John Longden, Ralph Neves and Russell Baze.