BAY MEADOWS - SAN MATEO CA
The facility was built in 1934 as a horse racing track. It was a one mile track built on the site of an old air field. Interesting facts are that the innovative William P. 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. Seabiscuit won this race twice: 1937 and 1938. The track was allowed to remain open during World War II because of its agreement to give 92% of its profits towards the war effort. The track generated more than $4 million for War Relief projects during the war years. Its ability to run during the war accounts for its status as the longest continually operating
US racetrack. In 1948, the eventual Hall of Fame jockey, Bill Shoemaker, began his career by exercising horses on this track. He won his first stakes race here in 1949. In 1950 and 1951 the Bay Meadows 150 AAA Indy Car race was run at the track. From 1954 - 1956 the track was used for NASCAR. The 1954 event was a 250 lap affair and it saw pole winner Hershel McGriff lead all 250 laps. Bill Amick finished second and Dick Rathman third. 1955 saw Tim Flock make the drive all the way across the country to race in the event. It too was set for 250 laps; but ended up being 252 because of a scoring error. Flock started on the pole and won the race by over a lap. Johnny Kieper was second and Danny Letner third. The final Cup race at Bay Meadows was in 1956. It was for 250 laps; but only ran 241 laps due to a crash ending the event. Eddie Pagan would start from the pole; lead all 241 laps and claim the win. Only Parnelli Jones was able to keep pace and finish on the lead lap. Chuck Meekins finished third. 1950 and 1951 saw an Indy car race ran at the track each year. The race was scheduled for 150 laps; but only ran 149 due to a scoring error. It was won by Tony Bettenhausen with Sam Hanks finishing second. Johnnie Parson would get the win after passing Bettenhausen with 21 laps to go. There was talk through the 2000s of demolishing Bay Meadows due to plans to build an entirely new racetrack near Dixon, California to replace the San Mateo race track so Bay Meadows remained open on a year-by-year case basis. 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. Bay Meadows was open to race for its last Spring Meet, February 6, 2008 to May 11, 2008. From May 14 to August 4, simulcasting occurred in Bay Meadows every open day, with free parking on August 4, free admission on August 11, and both on August 18. There were ten final race dates run in August 2008 for the San Mateo County Fair, with the last official race occurring on August 17, 2008.
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