Bay Meadows Racecourse
- Good for Kids: No
77 Reviews for Bay Meadows Racecourse
I've heard about this place for years but since I'm not a big equestrian or gambler I didn't seize the opportunity to visit until rumors circulated that it was going to close. So I took Caltrain from Santa Clara to the Hillsdale stop and finally got to experience their $1 Admission, $1 beers, and $1 hot dogs. Horse racing is more fun than you'd think...it's also a great place to people watch.
The place was packed and the lines for hot dogs and beer were ridiculously long but still worth it. The bathrooms could use a good cleaning and you can tell the place has been neglected for some time. I sat at the bar for a few minutes but there was no one working...how can you have a bar without a bar tender?
Unfortunately they are tearing the track down in September to make way for more shopping malls and sleazy "luxury condos." Get a clue people - you'll be living between highway 101 and El Camino. Oooh, prime.
Anyway I always hate to see things like this happen, mostly because the places that seem to get targeted for development always store happy memories for me. Sure it's just a track, and a lot of people become addicted to gambling and get pummeled with sacks of oranges. But for me the track is about being a young railbird drinking beers and screaming with my friends, or enjoying a nice cocktail in the turf club in the morning.
You had to know it was over when the ballot initiative for setting up a massive poker room there didn't pass about ten years ago. Maybe I should be thankful for that, actually.
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I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this place. It's sad to see this place be replaced by condos (What? The Bay Area needs MORE condos?!?!).
However, I have a very long history with this place. My father, being a stereotypical Chinese man, was into gambling. Horse racing was the easiest and most accessible form of gambling he could engage in, in which my mother could not find out about. You wonder why our restaurant in the Marina was named, Happy Valley. Yes, after the famous racetrack in Hong Kong:
http://www.happyvalley...
As a kid, starting at age 6, my dad would bring me here to spend "quality" time with me. Since my mom was running the restaurant, my dad had to take "care" of me. His version of taking care of me was taking me to Giants games, Warriors games, '9ers games, and yes, the various racetracks throughout the Bay Area.
As he sat up in the booths, I explored every crevice of Bay Meadow's playground. I was 6 at the time, and for me to have no adult supervision was pretty great. Although, looking back, I could have gotten into a lot of unsavory situations.
To say that I hate this place because it caused a lot of turmoil within my family is an understatement, but I'd much rather have this place around than more cookie cutter, looks like very single other complex, condos. This place has/had character.
It was a big part of my life and shaped my childhood, my independence, my relationship with my father. It's bittersweet in a way, but I'm sad to see it go.
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Fridays are the days to go here.
I went here a couple years back
and it was fun. I never went to a
horse track before and didn't know
why people were so into it. Now I
know. Friday's are really cheap -
considering gas prices.
$1 Beers
$1 Hotdog
$1 Admission
$1 Bets
Horse racing is very under rated
around the bay area. Folks - stop
going to Lucky Chances, Bay 101,
Garden City to play poker and lose.
Try this for a change. It's fun and
there's live music as well. It gets
pretty exciting rooting for your horse.
I'm afraid this week is the last from
what I've read. TELL ME I'M WRONG!
=/
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Like the state fair without the sunburns.
What a trip this place is on a Friday night! I had NO IDEA how popular horse racing could be.
Got dragged kicking and screaming by my friends. I was sure I'd hate it. At first I did. It was so cold outside and it was a really long walk from the car to the entrance. Once we got past that entrance it was pure fun and if you're into sociology you'll be fascinated.
Rich people, wanna be rich people, regular folks, and the homeless can be found here. Drunk people, teetotalers, and folks just too young to drink can also be found here. Live music, gambling, boozing, SMOKING can be found here. The lighting inside is like when the bar closes: bright lights...only it's not time to leave.
$1 and $2 beers. $1 and $2 hot dogs. Hello? Why aren't YOU here on Friday race nights?
And just like in the movies people really do throw their losing tickets. Everywhere. And their beer cups too. There is enough garbage cluttering every flat surface of this joint to keep all the landfills stocked for centuries.
Out in the stands you can watch and hear people cheering for their horse in every language. I hate seeing horses in captivity. I like my little imagination thinking they can be "out West" running wild. But I found that watching the races was exciting because the crowd had so much energy.
I don't think I'd make this a regular thing on my "going out for the evening" rotation, but if someone wants to go again I won't be kicking or screaming.
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Good bye old friend! This is the end of an era....
... I will miss the good old days of happy hour at TGIFridays and Friday night at the track
...I will miss winning Quinilla bets with Russell Baze and some long shot I never heard of.
...I will miss the Turf Club Buffet's Prime Rib!
...I will miss hob nobbing with "trackies" that seem to know more about who's going to win than I do.
...I will miss knowing that you are there should I ever get an itch for something a little different
...I will miss the thrill of winning big and buying drinks for everyone in the bar.
...I will especially miss someone else winning big and buying me drinks because I'm in the bar
I will never consider Golden Gate Fields or the County Fair circuit as a substitute. You were it for me and frequenting those places will just bring back huge nostalga for the good old days at Bay Meadows.
Enjoy your condo's, people of San Mateo!
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It was a one night stand I'll never forget.
I only wish we could have met sooner.
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Cover Bands. Cheap Beer (until a certain hour). Cheap Food. Horses. Gambling.
FRIDAY'S ALIVE!!!!! Sadly, I think that May 9th is the last one. I will be there getting my 80's groove on with Tainted Love.
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Popped my horse racing cherry today. And what a gorgeous day it was. Turns out I really suck at betting on horses, though.
Apparently picking them based on their names and how pretty they are isn't a good betting strategy.
Who knew?
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After my many years of enjoyment and winnings at the race tack I have finally saved up enough money to buy a home... I know I'll buy one on top of the burial grounds of the race track.
Yeah, they are ripping down this landmark of your society. Where am I going to be able to get $1 Brews, Dogs, sodas, admissions, and Horsie bets on a Friday night? Not to mention the live musical entertainment.
FRIDAY ALIVE!
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It's sad that Bay Meadows is closing. It is a lot of fun, and I've always liked it as a place to hang out on weekends and Fridays. However, as far as racetracks go, Bay Meadows is quite run-down. There aren't a lot of good places to get food. Often you'll smell people smoking pot on the stands. Nonetheless I'm sad that it is closing and I'll definitely miss it.
Having never gone to a horse race before and knowing absolutely nothing about horse racing, I went to my first race yesterday at Bay Meadows and I am glad this place is closing because the impression I came away with is that horse racing is cruel. Without sounding like a snob, the shady, degenerate gambling crowd that shows up to this place is pretty disgusting too.
Awesome place and I'll be sad to see it go. They can't consider it a historical landmark even though having Seabiscuit ran there, the electronic all enclosed starting gate was introduced there, so was the photo finish, etc... Doesn't matter because apparently the renovations to the grandstand in the 1940's took away the historical value.
Anyhow, I'm somewhat biased, what with being a racing fanatic and having worked there. However, aside from being a great place for bay area racing and gambling enthusiasts, it offers a great atmosphere, whether your on the infield for family day, in the Turf Club for a fancy day at the races, enjoying the Friday Night bands, or hanging in the Paddock Bar doing some serious people and horse watching. I'm not voting on if it's good for kids because it depends on what day you go. If you go when they are having a family day and have pony rides, face painters, TV personalities, etc... on the infield, its probably great for them. Just know that usually when kids see horses, they want to pet and interact with them. This just isn't a possibility with the race horses and can sometimes be a disappointment to the kids.
Whispers are that they will be tearing down the grandstand the first week of September, but the track and barns will remain to train horses on until the end of the year. The last meets are this Spring's (over in a month or so), and the two week San Mateo county fair meet. Go see it while it's still there!
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Friday Nights Alive is the BOMB. Where else can you get drunk and eat a bad hot dog for under $10. I mean come on, the cover band played my ultimate Journey song of the summer. Where else can you dance around like a drunk moron and look like the sanest person in the room!
Some lady who looked like something out of "Whatever Happened to baby Jane?" was dancing next to me and it was all the more fun with 6 beers in my belly.
Good cheap fun and a good place to start out the night!
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Friday $1 beers and hot dogs sounds great but both obviously tasted terrible. Maybe if I got drunk beforehand it would be a good way to keep the buzz going and fulfilling my drunk hunger pangs for only a few bucks. I did enjoy the tacos though for a couple dollars more, however the pizza was terrible. The live music sucked but the horse racing was entertaining although I'm not the gambling type so the entertainment was minimal. Overall still a fun place to hang out with a group of friends and get drunk for cheap.
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Stupidest Idea Ever "Fridays Alive"
After hearing that Bay Meadows was closing down next month, I thought I should at least check it out before it was gone forever. A friend of mine told me about Fridays Alive ( $1.00 beers/$1.00 Hot dogs/$1.00 programs) so I figured cheap hot dogs and watching ponies sounds like fun.
Yeah right I was way off! Who wants to spend a Friday night watching rejects from Girls Gone Wild & Jackass. Worse time ever this last Friday, maybe I actually have a great life that I don't have to piss away getting drunk off $1.00 beers. I guess I thought going to watch the races was going to be a little more classy, you know civilized people who watch the races from their seats while chatting with the others around them, cashing in or complaining about it and having a cheap bite to eat.
They have a lame band who I am sure can't hear how horrible they sound. The hot dogs were cold not even worth the $1.00 and the people there seemed like they were just there to "hook up." Girls already falling from being drunk. To top it off who brings kids ( 1-6yrs) to the horse races around all these drunk people. Bad Parenting!
Good thing the police were right outside waiting for them.
DO NOT RECOMMEND "FRIDAYS ALIVE"
As of May 11 2008 is the last race.... tear!
This place was fun.
Grew up watching my uncle get crazy mad when his horses wouldn't win. hehe
Angry Old Bald Filipino Man. haha
Kinda gross when the floors were littered w/ paper and stuff.
At least San Mateo will still remember this place with the satellite racecourse and pics hanging on the wall.
74 years this place has been around, and now its gone. So Sad!
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an ode to a place i visited for the first and last time tonight (sung to the tune of the simpsons "maison derriere" song, sorta):
you could nuke all of san jose and nobody would care
you could shut down old golden gate fields, and i wouldn't give a hair
but the one place that i wanted to go, and finally just went once tonight
was good old bay meadows, in good old san mateo
obligatory chorus:
it's the sauce on your steak, it's the cheese in your cake
it puts the "oh!" in san mateo (yes i know that's lame)
the lace on the nightgown, the point after touchdown
it puts the "oh!" in san mateo
i had no need to visit until i heard you were closing
and tonight was the night i had to go
the girls who came were incredibly hot
the old gambling addicts were obviously not
an ambulance was there in case a jockey falls
i won six bucks, then lost it all
their hot dogs looked disgusting, but they're only for a dollar
yes they put the "san" in san mateo
they're going to bring it down to make a bunch of condos
but it brought the "eo" to san mateo
it has been here for 78 years, i'm sure the old timers are in tears
kubrick filmed a movie there, seabiscuit won a circuit there
yes it brought the "mate" to san mateo
yes it brought the "doink" to san mateo
yes it brought the bums to san mateo
their dollar beer i never tasted - i just found this place existed....
*end song* after such a horribly written review, i'm sure the owners can't wait to shut the place down forever.
i never understood the allure of horse racing, but now i do. horse racing is downright exhilarating, especially if you watch it in person. i wish i came here earlier, maybe a few times last season or even earlier this season. they're shutting down because the race tracks now have to be made with artificial turf by law, which apparently is too expensive to keep up. which is too bad, because tonight was incredibly fun, and i'm going to miss this place.
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Golden Gate Fields is still around so go over to Berkeley. GGF has the best view in the bay area.
Fridays Alive Only.
$1 beer, $1 hot dogs, bad cover bands, racing, gambling, staring at horsies, drinking on caltrain with a big group of friends...what more could you want???
don't go here on the last day of the season. don't.
8:50pm i arrived. met michael who was standing in line for some $1 hot dogs and $2 beers.
10:10pm we're finally at the front of the line, and guess what happens.... CLOSED! they're out of everything. beer. food. snacks.
i basically paid $1 to enter the race track, and then stand in line and not be able to buy anything while everyone was drinking double fist style and eating nachos.
yea i'm bitter, i'm f&(^@$#g bitter! why did you even ask if i was bitter?!
if there were significantly less people here, i'd be happy. hell i'm happy if they double every single price here. that way all the ghetto people who come out of the woodwork to show up here won't come and i'll actually have a 2-3 star experience.
maybe i'm just writing this review out of bitterness? do you sense it?
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This place is so fun on live racing days!
Bad food, bad drinks and not the typical bay area atmosphere but it is still a blast.
On some Fridays they have live music and cheap food and beers. I will be VERY sad if this place closes.
Jorge was a good man. He grew up in Southern California as one of four boys to a single mother who worked three jobs so that her boys could get an education in America. Sadly, as they grew older Jorge's brothers fell victim to alcohol and drugs, crack mostly but with the occasional run on heroin if one of the corrupt bosses they were working for decided to pay them with drugs instead of money.
Jorge stayed on track though, took his mother to church on Sundays, helped his brothers with a couch to stay on, and although he started like his mother did, working three of four different jobs Jorge eventually taught himself how to dry wall and by the time he was 32 had a small crew of his own. He took mostly commercial jobs, a Burger King, small office buildings, he paid his men a fair wage and always made sure they were paid before he took any money for himself.
Jorge's brothers got worse all three becoming homeless and living on the streets or in and out of shelters around the Bay Area. They simply could not stop drinking they were addicted and using every day. While Jorge watched his brothers demise he took a different route and had been saving his money for years. Jorge had managed to put away 20,000 dollars that only he knew about.
Last week Jorge bought a horse from a cousin, a race horse to be exact. His cousin was a trainer and assured Jorge the horse was from a good line and loved to run. Knowing nothing about horse racing but trusting his cousin Jorge gave him 19,000 dollars and bought a horse that raced yesterday at Bay Meadows. Jorge took the remaining 1000 dollars of his savings and bought a new suit, shoes and a hat to match. He was so proud as he stood with his cousin in the Paddock and took a picture with the Jockey.
Just past the quarter pole in the fifth race the horse broke stride when he came down on his front right leg and it snapped. Thankfully the Jockey was not hurt but the horse was finished. Jorge took off his hat and sat silently against the wall.
If you look around Bay Meadows while you sip your beer and eat a cheap hot dog you will see Jorge, his brothers, and realize we're all kind of addicted.
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Wow, Bay Meadows. I didn't know something so quintessentially American could be found in the Bay Area.
We went for a birthday party yesterday and hung in the Turf Club, with it's middle of the road buffet, which went way beyond my expectations. I was envisioning something like a stadium sky box, but this was way more elaborate and "classy" if you know what I mean.
Since it was my buddy's birthday, they took us down to have our picture taken with one of the winning jockeys. This dude was like a character out of the Simpsons; almost like a Krusty the Clown time, dripping with sweat and you could see the 3 pack a day habit on his face.
We spent a little time with the masses in the main betting area, which was great.
Perfect stratification of the classes. What's not to love?
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I came up on loot!!
My review is highly biased as I walked out of the Turf Club with about $475 more in my wallet than when I walked in. I cluelessly picked horses based on the names I liked the most and just won a lot of the time. Better to be lucky than good.
The turf club though was awesome, went with some friends for a birthday and had a great time. We all got dressed up, ate from a very good buffet, had waitresses serving us drinks at our table while we bet on the horses. Very cool place. I plan to go again next season.
PS I heard this place is going to shut down after next season. That is too bad if true, but I recommend making it out there next season as it sounds like it will be the last.
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I've had so many fond memories at Bay Meadows. My dad has been taking me here since I was just a tiny microscopic fetus in my mommy. Maybe I could hear the trotting of the horses while I was in my moms belly, that I kept coming to Bay Meadows. I just grew up loving this track. I remember getting into fights at the infield Kidd park. Oh and the smell of the horse poo as soon as you walk in after paying your $3.00 general admission. The smell of cigar smoke in the main betting area and the upstairs would just get foggy with smoke. I can smell that second hand smoke now. When ever my dad would win he would treat me to the corn beef sandwiches dipped in a'ju sauce at the hoffbrau (yum oh). Or when I would stand behind the oldest and most confused person and see that they left their money in the tote machine, and I would take it and give it to my dad. Or when you sit in the grandstand and see all the seagulls swoop down and take peoples food and fly over and poo on everyone. Those where the days...
I still like to go and place a few bets on the pony's. But after the years the crowds have dwindled, jockey's move on, and its now easier to do it on line. I would be deeply crushed if they closed down Bay Meadows. I've had lots of child hood memories here. I've always wanted to take my son to B.M just like my dad took me. Its great for family's to come and have a picnic, and bring the children to see the horses. The $1 Friday Nights Alive are always great. Lots of college kids go and get drunk. Some start fights and act stupid trying to impress all the girls. They also have live bands playing those nights. B.M in closing I would like to just say....
Bay Meadows you will always be in my memories and I will always remember you. Even though you've taken more money from me then I have won in all my years. Your staff is friendly and wonderful from the ticket window staff, to the staff on the floor, and even the horse takers. With out them Bay Meadows would not be able to go on. The jockey's are hard workers and deserve to be recognized. Especially #1 Russell Baze.
Thank you!
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Yes, there is a romance about horse racing that we all know about whether or not we've ever been to a track.
In all my years on this planet, I had never been to a race track to watch a horse race. Sure, we've all read Bukowski's poem where he walked away from a fight he was about to get in with a man in a Mercedes who pulled a gun on him and how walking away from that man was the best bet he ever made at the horse tracks. Sure we've closet watched the Anna Nicole Smith show where she decked herself out to go to the Kentucky Derby. Sure we've even watched the 2nd episode of The Bachelor when Brad took six of bachelorettes to a horse race and how McCarten made a lame attempt at trying to kiss him in between races.
Yeah, some of us have even watched the movie "Sea Biscuit."
But until you go to horse race and experience this aspect of American culture, you'll never really realize how much fun you are missing. I got there with my friends all dressed up with my Turf Club Ticket which gives us entrance to the indoor area overlooking the track and finish line. You are given a program which lists all the races in order. Usually, there are races on various tracks occurring in sequential timing. Last Saturday was the "super bowl" of horse races: the Breeder's cup.
If you are a nerd for gambling, a good time, and intricate details about things, horse racing will be very easy to fall in love with. If you're like me, you will be so engrossed by the experience that, you will get home with a migraine headache trying to absorb all the excitement bottled up during 6 hours of non-stop horse racing.
The strategies for betting are insane. The terminology is like a whole new language. Where Innuits have 45 different words to describe snow, horse racing fanatics have 45 different words to describe a horse. There's a sire, a dam, a colt, a philly, a mare, a stud, and a maiden. A maiden is a horse that's never won a race before. Usually, there's a cute race where a bunch of maidens race each other. The winner "breaks their maiden." It almost sounds as if the winning horse loses its virginity right before your very eyes.
On top of names of horses are types of bets. You can bet on the horse to win, place, or show (gets first, second, or third place). Then there's exacta, trifecta; then there's are exacta boxes; and row bets.
Then, there are strategies on defermining which horse you think will win. There's the strategy of picking the jockey who is winning the majority of races; then there's the gut instinct; better yet, you can walk down to the paddock prior to a race and inspect the horses and get a clue.
On Saturday, I put $10 on a horse named "Barney" simply because when it walked by me, it looked me in the eye and smiled and had a look like, "silly, you know I'm gonna beat all these knuckleheads."
So I ran up to the betting area and put $10 on Barney to win the race and then I sat at the club and watched the race. Right out of the gate, Barney looked promising and was way out in front of all the other horses as he rounded the corner he was looking great, 5 lengths in front of any of the horses. But at the very last second, some horse came from nowhere and had enough kick to beat poor Barney by a nose.
Bye-bye $10.
But in the end, I got the last laugh. With a live simulcast at Monmouth Race Track in New Jersey, where the Breeder's cup was happening, the final event, featuring the best thoroughbreds were racing for the coveted $5,000,000 purse.
"Hey, this is the cup of all cups Tony, don't just put a $2 bet out there." As I walked up, I put $20 for Curlin to win the race despite the fact he was going up against the 2007 Kentucky Derby winner, Street Sense.
As the race started, Curlin stayed near the lead and stole the show during the final lap and won easily by 4 horse lengths! I won my first "win" bet. As a horse race better, you could say, "I broke MY maiden!" Normally, I am very calm and composed. I must admit, I was screaming like a whino on Chianti when my Curlin won Saturday's Breeder cup. I even learned that Curlin was named after a slave who fought for the union in the civil war and how one of the owner's was a great, great, great, great grandchild of that man. The lore in horse racing is quite fascinating.
With that $20 bet, I won $108. The rest of my bets, my ticket to the Turf club, and bridge toll paid for themselves.
Despite the headache, I cannot wait for the Derby in May. I'm now a twice a year bonafide horse racing fanatic!!!!
What can I say, watching horses as the round the corner has an effect to the crowds like how at stadiums, there's the "wave!" As the horse reaches the first half of spectators, a roar crescendos until it reaches you and then as you watch the horses inch by you, you can't help but scream with the others and get caught up in the excitement.
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I love going to the races with friends, Saturday they were giving away free hoodies unfortunately I had too much fun the night before and didn't get to the track in time. I guess when they say 12:45 you better get there at 12:45 and not a moment later. Any who, I haven't been to the track in forever, and let me tell you there is never a dull moment. You have the most random people there; it's a mixture of families, drunks and your hard core gamblers, me on the other hand I go for $1 day and to hang out with friends and bet on the ponies. I guess Saturday was my lucky day because I came out on top taking home $49.50, I'm definitely going back and hopefully I get that free hoodie!
When my bf and I first started dating, he asked me if I'd like to go to Bay Meadows.
Me: Um...is that the place with the horse racing?
SBM: Yeah, I'll take the afternoon off Friday and we can spend the whole afternoon at the racetrack.
Me: The whole afternoon? Watching horses run around a track or something?
SBM: It'll be fun. Do you trust me?
Me: Ummm....yeah...I guess. Sure. Maybe.
It was actually really fun. We had a reservation at the Turf Club, which has this seating layout that gives almost everyone a great view of the track in a stadium seating sort of way but in an indoor climate-controlled environment with nice tables that each have their own monitor that shows close-ups of the race and information on the races, and so you don't get bored inbetween the races they show you the races from another track, which I think is in Southern California, which you can also bet on.
The food in the Turf Club isn't very vegetarian friendly, but I'm used to this type of place that serves sort of ultra-american cuisine, steak and sandwiches with french fries, and a few trusty old seafood dishes. We had the cheese and fruit platter which wasn't bad and a terrible wine. We were joking about it for months afterward. Don't order the Trifecta. The name should tip you off anyway...like really fancy or gimicky wine labels, a cute location-specific wine name should probably be avoided at almost all times. Imagine going to Disney World and finding a wine called "Mickey Mouse". AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!
This is also the first place we kissed. The elevator up to the Turf Club. Isn't that ROMANTIC??? So, if you see us going into the elevator there, back off...we want to have a ten second trip down memory lane. Were YOU in the elevator the first time we kissed? I didn't think so.
We came back here a second time all excited because they were going to have LIVE MUSIC! Well, *I* was excited. What I didn't realize is that live music night is only on the OTHER side, the side with the open grandstand seating. Once again we went to the Turf Club, where they had some piano music playing that may or may not have been live and a rather dreadful buffet and some lackluster service (as so often happens when you have a buffet, another reason I dislike them). In order to check out the live cover band we had to CROSS OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE: General admission.
Turf Club: air-conditioned, climate controlled
General admission: hot, crowded and smokey
Turf Club: Dress code
General admission: Anything goes, but preference is given to baggy shorts, wife beaters and baseball caps
Turf Club: Almost no waiting to place bets, so you can make your bet moments before the race
General admission: queue up to place your bet behind a long line of drunken guys in baggy shorts and baseball caps that seem suprised there aren't any hotdogs at the window and take forever to place a bet
Turf Club: Snooty service, mediocre buffet, mediocre wine list
General admission: long lines for one dollar tacos, one dollar beers and one dollar hot dogs
Turf Club: Piano music
General admission: live cover band with a really terrible sound system
Turf Club: not too crowded except for maybe the room with the buffet
General admission: seething masses of people, including crying babies, shouting children and cigar smokers
Turf Club: Great view of the races from all seats, both through the window and on the tv monitors on each table
General admission: You can go outside and get pretty close to the actual track, right next to the cigar smokers, crying babies and shouting children
Which side you choose I guess depends on individual preference, although if you have a Turf Club reservation they stamp your hand (classy!) and you can cross back and forth at will. I really don't recommend the live music because no matter who is playing the sound is terrible. However, some people seemed to be really enjoying it, so what do I know?
We bet on almost every race we saw here, in every different sort of combination, plain and fancy. Show, Place, Win, Quinella, Exacta, Trifecta (The terrible wine was probably a sign that the trifecta was really not for us) and we LOST EVERY TIME.
...BUT...
I bought "Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies" and we are for sure going back again. And again, and again, and again, until we not only win one, but actually come out ahead at least once.
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This is a low down dirty old school track.
The physical facilities suck, the food sucks (except for the carvery). If you need to eat here and there is live racing that day then head to the carvery and get a pot roast or turkey sandwich and enjoy. Beware of hustlers and homeless dudes who will beg for food. One of my friends actually got hit up for some of his mash, I found this quite funny but he didn't.
$1 day is great, you can get loaded on MGD and crappy hot dogs while betting on hassez.
Simulcast here is a necessary evil because you can't miss out on betting on the big races like the Kentucky Derby. It gets quite busy on those days and they don't open the concessions except for hot dog stands unless there is live racing.
If you live in the area, show up and throw down with some badly chosen trifectas so I can win your money.
CLOSING SOON- GET YOUR SALMONELLA WHILE YOU CAN!!
Don't buy the food at Bay Meadows concession area! I was horrified to watch the woman at the counter handle money, cough on her glove-less hand, cook hot dogs and handle the hot dog buns as she ran her still glove-less hand through her hair as I waited for my food. Not only did I demand my money back, I was even more repulsed to discover mine wasn't the first complaint lodged! Board of Health, it's time for you to pay a visit!
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i haven't been to the racetracks since i was just a little boy. my uncle use to take me and i'd pick him some horses. it was just the way i remembered it being dirty and grimey. i had a good time i won a couple races paid for my beer gas food and then some
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5 Stars based on Fridays Alive $1 nites!
*****Fridays Alive!! 2007! Sept 28th and October 5, 12, & 19th*****
Fridays Alive at Bay Meadows have been some of the most unconventional FUN experiences I've ever had! And on a budget too!
Let's say you make $15-$20 an hour. You've worked all week and want to unwind, but the usual weekend hoo-rahs are a little boring and stale. Let's say you've got yourself 3-4 friends that are open minded about what to do on a given Friday. Between the 4-5 of you, that's give-or-take $100, some time to spare, and a craving to do something new...?
FRIDAY'S ALIVE @ BAY MEADOWS!
$5 for parking (only a $1 each if you carpool and pitch in). $1 each for admission. So now what do you do with $18 left of one-hour's pay? DOLLAR BEER!! DOLLAR HOT DOGS!! Have 15 beers & 3 hotdogs! Or 10 beers, 3 hotdogs, and make a $5 bet (... bet on the perverted horse names, it's fun...)! Or do 3 beers, then 2 hotdogs, then another 4 beers, place a $2 bet, eat another hotdog and a beer, and go home with your other $5. FUN FUN FUN!
And for those that must absolutely make dancing a part of their weekends, there is usually a live band upstairs... check out the schedule to see who's playing...
Then come find me... I'll be drunkenly checking the math on that little budgetary equation above... MEH!
Ah, Bay Meadows... I'll miss you when they bring that wrecking ball around... sigh...
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Went here once on a whim; loved it. Won a few dollars on one race (but hit it big at that OTHER track across the bay), and lost it quickly. I will definitely take the train here soon, and check out the "Friday's Alive," bit before they tear down the track for good.
White. Trash. Fabulous.
We rented out the Turf Club for a work event and it was a ridiculous amount of fun. Open bar. Open buffet. And then we danced shamelessly with a motley crowd like you've never seen before. I freak-danced a client and it was the best time ever. Everyone should experience this place at least once before it shuts down.
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Um, what kind of parent brings their children to the horse track? That's just so unwholesome. Come on people... What are you thinking??? I know exactly what you're thinking: $1 hot dogs, $1 MGD drafts, and horsies, and parimutual betting! There goes the rent money... again. Oh well, someone else will spot me. Ha ha too funny! No, not really. They even have those nachos with that radioactive cheese sauce. All the crap that Poochie shouldn't be eating, but didn't care cuz he went to the gym like a good boy! Plus all those preservatives are great for Poochie's coat! Extra jalapenos please!!!
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This has to be one of the best places to go on a Friday Night when they have the "Friday's Night Alive" events going on. I celebrated my 30th birthday here and can't go on to say how much fun we had. Best place for people watching and the $1 beers and hot dogs can not be beat. My only recommendations is to get here before 7:00 in order to grab a table.
I will seriously be bummed when the shut this place down. Hopefully, someone will decide not to build up yet another new development and keep this place going for many more years.
Disclaimer: I didn't really bet on any horses..
not sure if this is every night, or just friday night, but $6 got me admission, 3 hot dogs (yea, i know, gross), and 2 beers. best deal of the century.
plus you get a great view of the sky.
if yo