Golden Gate Fields Ends Fall Meet On Positive Note

Golden Gate Fields Ends Fall Meet On Positive Note by Guest Contributor Reinier Macatangay: According to a track press release, Golden Gate Fields ends its fall meet on Sunday, December 14, 2014 and takes a two-week hiatus afterward, before starting again on Dec. 26.

To entice bettors for their closing weekend, the track offers 10-race cards on Saturday and Sunday, and a mandatory payout of The Golden Pick 6 on Sunday with a .20 cent minimum.

In addition, the track offers $1 parking and admission on all Sundays throughout the year, as well as $1 drinks and hot dogs.

For those not familiar with this racetrack, it is perhaps home to one of the most beautiful parking lots in the country, whether comparing to other racetracks or not! A full view of the Bay awaits, along with the famous San Francisco Skyline and Golden Gate Bridge visible in the background. Also, Golden Gate Field’s unique location near UC Berkeley places the track near many historical tourist attractions and a sprawling nightlife.

Golden Gate Fields is the main thoroughbred racetrack in Northern California.

Rain is expected to give way to just fog on Saturday, and sunshine for the last day. Because of the unique nature of synthetic, or Tapeta, as a main surface, the track is never labeled anything other than fast.

Tapeta, installed in 2007, arguably gives turf horses a second friendly footing to race over. Like any other surface though, factors such as pace and distance still deserve consideration. The main difference comes in the finishing margin, as synthetic surfaces favor a tightly packed turf-like finish and dirt surfaces promote more spread between the horses.

Because lower quality races at Golden Gate Fields are common, and therefore current form may look confusing, angles such as jockey and trainer winning percentages, and circuit switches from Southern to Northern California get attention too.

Jockey Russell Baze and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer tend to dominate this circuit in terms of wins, and that is no different for the fall meet as they both stand as locks to wrap up titles.

Some famous horses to run at Golden Gate Fields over the years include Citation, Noor, Silky Sullivan, John Henry, Lost in the Fog and the active Shared Belief. Shared Belief, star of Hollendorfer’s stable and fourth place finisher in this year’s Breeder’s Cup Classic at Santa Anita, is currently training at Golden Gate in preparation for a Dec. 26 start in the gr. I Malibu Stakes, also at Santa Anita.

Check out the Silky Sullivan and Lost in the Fog plaques located near the winner’s circle. They both tell the great story of each horse!

Also, enjoy the seagulls flying overhead.

Good luck!

Read more from Reinier Macatangay at thoughtsonracinglifeandmore.com.