Through nine decades, Golden Gate Fields has had a rich history as an integral part of Northern California racing. Here’s a glance at some of the most historic days in advance of the track’s closure on Sunday. Feb. 1, 1941 – A delayed 33-day meeting begins with a program run on a muddy track. A week later, the second Saturday program turns out to be the final day of the season before it is canceled because of an unsafe surface. All 40 races were run on an off track. Sept. 9, 1947 – After the war, a 41-day meeting begins before a crowd of 30,316. Oct. 4, 1947 – Remarkably, two world records are set on the same program when Fair Truckle wins the six-furlong Pleasanton Handicap in 1:08.40, and Count Speed wins an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles in 1:41. April 20, 1949 – Bill Shoemaker, a 19-year-old apprentice, wins the first race of his career on Shafter V. June 3, 1950 – Citation (carrying 128 pounds) wins the Golden Gate Mile Handicap, finishing a mile in a world-record time of 1:33.60. June 17, 1950 – Noor (123) edges Citation (128) to win the Forty Niners Handicap at 1 1/8 miles by a neck. June 24, 1950 – Noor (127) wins the Golden Gate Handicap at 1 1/4 miles by three lengths over Citation (128). Dec. 11, 1954 – Determine, winner of the 1954 Kentucky Derby, wins the Golden Gate Handicap for his 10th stakes win of the year. May 9, 1964 – The track inherits some racing dates from Tanforan Racecourse after that San Francisco track is destroyed by fire. April 3, 1969 – Robyn Smith becomes the first female jockey to ride in Northern California, finishing second in the third race on Swifty Yorky. May 9, 1970 – A 55-day spring season ends with an average daily handle of $1,019,929, the first seven-figure mark in track history. Feb. 26, 1972 – 19 horses enter the San Francisco Mile, the first stakes on the track’s newly installed turf course. The race is run in two divisions and is won by Imaginative and Panzer Chief. April 11, 1974 – The track handles a record $2,090,454 on a day when Agitate, ridden by Shoemaker, wins the California Derby. Agitate would later finish third to Cannonade in Kentucky Derby on May 4. March 5, 1977 – A crowd of 26,108 is in attendance on a day when jockey Steve Cauthen rides Make Amends, who finishes 10th behind Cuzwuzwrong in the California Derby. The program has a modern handle record of $3,017,424. March 8, 1980 – Jaklin Klugman, co-owned by actor Jack Klugman, wins the California Derby under jockey Chris McCarron. Jaklin Klugman was later third in the Kentucky Derby behind Genuine Risk. May 6, 1984 – John Henry, 9, wins the Golden Gate Handicap in course-record time of 2:13 for 1 3/8 miles as part of a campaign that led to a second Horse of the Year title. Meeting concludes with record average daily handle of $2,004,409. Jan. 3, 1989 – The track is purchased by Ladbroke Group of London for $41 million from Pacific Racing Association and Bay Area Sports Enterprises. June 16, 1990 – Petite Ile, trained by Southern California-based Eddie Gregson, wins her second consecutive start in the $400,000 Golden Gate Handicap against males, the track’s richest race. April 16, 1992 – Russell Baze wins seven races from nine mounts, a record for victories on a single card in Northern California. April 16, 1994– Screaming Don rallied from the back of the field to win the 80th California Derby and returns a record $103.60. May 12, 1994 – The track runs its first match race. Soviet Problem, a 4-year-old filly, beats Lazor, a 4-year-old gelding, by 4 1/2 lengths over six furlongs. April 13, 1996 – Pike Place Dancer wins the California Derby on turf at 4-5 over 10 males, the first filly to win the historic race since Miz Clementine in 1954. She would go on to win the Kentucky Oaks. Dec. 3, 1997 – Russell Baze becomes the 12th jockey to win 6,000 races in a 12-length victory on Clover Hunter. Sept. 2, 1999 – Ladbroke Racing of Britain announces the sale of its Western Hemisphere gambling interests, including Golden Gate Fields. Nov. 5, 1999–Golden Gate Fields is acquired for a reported $77 million by Magna International of Toronto, founded by prominent Thoroughbred owner and breeder Frank Stronach. The track joins Santa Anita in Southern California as a Stronach-controlled track. The company later becomes The Stronach Group and then 1/ST Racing. Nov. 11, 2004 – Lost in the Fog, a Florida-bred colt by Lost Soldier, wins his debut in a maiden race for 2-year-olds by 7 1/2 lengths at five furlongs under Russell Baze, the first of 10 consecutive wins through the fall of 2005. Nov. 7, 2007 – The track opens its fall meeting with a new Tapeta Footings synthetic track, joining Del Mar, Hollywood Park, and Santa Anita as Thoroughbred venues in the state with all-weather surfaces mandated by the California Horse Racing Board. Aug. 17, 2008 – Bay Meadows in San Mateo, Calif., approximately 33 miles from Golden Gate Fields, runs its final day of racing after a 74-year existence. Golden Gate Fields is now the only major track in the Bay Area. Nov. 26, 2015 – On Thanksgiving Day, Kiss N Scat wins the first race to give trainer Jerry Hollendorfer his 7,000th win, becoming the third trainer to reach the milestone. Hollendorfer would win 51 training titles at Golden Gate. He would not have a runner at Golden Gate Fields after the spring of 2019, when he was banned by the track’s parent company following a series of breakdowns at Santa Anita. June 12, 2016 – Russell Baze, 57, finishes second on Wahine Warrior in the last race on the program, the final day of the winter-spring meeting. Baze shocks the racing community by announcing his retirement. Baze ended his career with 12,842 wins, the most in North American history. Feb. 13, 2021 – Rombauer wins his 3-year-old debut in the El Camino Real Derby. Two starts later, Rombauer scores an upset win at 11-1 in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes in May. July 16, 2023 – Track parent company 1/ST Racing stuns racing community with the announcement that Golden Gate Fields will be closed permanently in December. Sept. 16, 2023 – 1/ST Racing announces that track will remain open until June 9, 2024, and will conduct a 2023-24 winter-spring meeting after negotiations with the California Horse Racing Board. Dec. 26, 2023 – The track begins its final meeting after a drastic 25 percent cut in overnight purses in an effort to recover a $3.1 million overpayment from recent years. Feb. 10, 2024 – Endlessly closes from seventh in a field of eight to win the $101,350 El Camino Real Derby, the track’s final stakes for 3-year-olds. April 27, 2024 – Lammas, trained locally by Manny Badilla and ridden by Irving Orozco, rallies wide to win the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile, the final stakes in track history. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.