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At one point, the SF Bay area had as many as six different horse racing tracks. Over time, one by one, they closed down.
Out of all the Bay Area's racetracks, most racing fans will tell you they miss Bay Meadows most of all. It's also the most recent track to have closed.
Up to that point, Bay Meadows was constantly operating longer than any other in California. Bay Meadows also was quite advanced technically.
For example, it was the first west coast racetrack to have a totalizator, a large alphanumeric display of betting odds and payoffs for each race. Other innovations included the electric, fully-enclosed starting gate and the photo-finish camera.
In 1945, Bay Meadows hosted the first racehorse to travel by air, El Lobo, who won the Burlingame Handicap after his airship ride.
Bay Meadows was developed by Bill Kyne, one of the early promoters of legalized parimutuel betting in 1933. The following year he broke ground on a former airport location to build Bay Meadows.
On November 4, 1934, Bay Meadows opened 5 minutes from Redwood City in San Mateo, with 15,000 in attendance. The mile-long track was fast. The grandstand and clubhouse had a seating capacity of 6,500.
The track gained significant popularity, which attracted celebrities. Two of its most famous four-legged celebs were Seabiscuit and Citation. The great Willie Shoemaker began his illustrious career there. Russel Baze became the world's winningest jockey there in 2006. Hollywood names such as Al Jolson, Mae West, Clark Gable and Bing Crosby frequented the famous race track.
Bay Meadows was also unique because it was the only major racetrack on the west coast to remain open throughout World World II.
A major remodeling took place in 1949 that included a new clubhouse and a private turf club. Seating capacity was increased. A new saddling paddock, fireproof horse barns and new landscaping were included. The improvements prompted one newspaper to proclaim Bay Meadows "one of the most elaborate tracks in the world.
Auto racing was added to the menu from 1951 – 1955.
For a while, Bay Meadows seemed to be riding high in every way. However, with more and more people settling in Southern California and Hollywood's attraction, the racing season in the southland steadily began to outpace the Bay Area.
By the 1980s, Bay Meadows was struggling to keep open.
Another remodeling took place in 1986 to bolster the struggling racetrack but didn't bring about the anticipated results. The 1990s saw a continued decline. At this point, investors began infighting about the future. Rumors began circulating that the track was closing.
The final blow came in 2006 when the California Horse Racing Board mandated that dirt tracks be replaced with synthetic surfaces. The cost of this proved to be an impossibility.
The final day of racing for California's oldest continuously operating racetracks was on August 17, 2008, in front of 8,000 patrons.
Today, the racetrack's former location is home to a combination of retail, office and residential suburban spread.
Everything else is just history
Some of the photos used in this blog are courtesy of the Local History Room, Redwood City's best-kept secret. The Local History Collection covers all aspects of Redwood City's development, from the 1850s to the present day, with particular emphasis on businesses, public schools, civic organizations, city agencies, and early family histories. The Local History Room is not affiliated with the Redwood City Public Library, but it is inside it.
