Bay Area Sports Blogging

Horse races push on at Golden Gate Fields in the Bay Area. The race season has just ended at Bay Meadows, but the season will begin at Golden Gate Fields. With all the uncertainty regarding the future of Bay Meadows, Golden Gate Fields offers confidence and reassurance.

To kick off their season, Golden Gate Fields is running a Dollar Day promotion this Saturday, November 10th. $1 General Admission, $1 parking, $1 programs, $1 hot dogs, $1 sodas, and $1 beers. The hot dogs aren't very big, about your standard sized hot dog. They will be gone in about three bites. The sodas and beers are about 12 ounces from the tap in a plastic cup. But $1 admission and $1 parking offers a great value. Where else can you get an entire day's worth of entertainment for two bucks?

Other promotions Golden Gate Field is running are free long-sleeve shirt day on Saturday, November 17th, and a TV giveaway on Sunday, December 2nd, in which a 42" Plasma TV will be given away after every race. They are also running additional Dollar Days throughout the racing season as well as another TV giveaway for Superbowl Sunday.

Bay Meadows will begin its Fall season of live racing Wednesday, August 22nd. Many people have heard about horse racing, or even seen a few telecasts of the Kentucky Derby, but not enough people get the chance to attend a live race. Horse Racing, known also as The Sport of Kings, is an inexpensive activity that can last all day.

When most people think horse racing, one of two images appears: grand events like the Kentucky Derby, or a cold, dirty, gamblers haven. While the Kentucky Derby gets all the attention, it is just the start of a three race event, called the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. After the Kentucky Derby, there is the Preakness Stakes, and concluding with the Belmont Stakes. The other image of horse racing can be attributed to television and movies. Often, a man is shown losing money at the tracks, only it is not his money that he lost, but borrowed money from the mafia. While such situations can happen, it is the exception, rather than the norm.

The general cost of spending the day at Bay Meadows in California is $4 for parking and $3 per person for grand stand admission. A group of four would total $16. This cost will cover the entire day of racing, which starts around 10 AM and end around 6 PM. Compare that with a movie ticket costing $8 per person and lasting around 2 hours. Or compare that with a pre-season San Francisco 49ers football game, costing $60 per ticket for a 3 hour practice squad game. Attending a live horse race is very cost effective.