Bay Meadows race track outside San Francisco ended its season the other day. The place where Seabiscuit raced into the history books seventy years ago is being replaced with condominiums and office buildings.
The decline of horse racing in the United States has put the race track suit on the endangered species list. Loud tweeds, checked shirts and suede shoes are in their element around day time horse racing in the same way that a dinner jacket seems natural in the front row at a boxing match. And, lacking a venue, they also disappear.
That's progress.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Around San Francisco: Bye Bye Bay Meadows
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5 comments:
Quite sad. For year's our annual day after Christmas family outing was to Santa Anita Park here in Southern California, which opens that day. They give away a calendar for the upcoming year, which my uncle, a former art professor at UCLA, would take and put each of the month's photograph's to canvas. I do miss those outings.
I agree with you completely.
On another note, I've never seen progress used in a manner that is so negative. It really drives in your point.
Fortunately in Spain the horse races are becoming popular again and it is quite posh to go there and have dinner. Ascot will take place in only a few weeks.
By the way Will, I would like you to write about the main differences in classical men style between England and United States. I think your blog focus mainly on the American side. Thank you Will
Great illustration. Sadly, tweed and suede shoes have already disappeared from 'the purity of the turf'. The maddening casualization of American society is rampant at the track. If I want to have a go on the GGs, I should stay at home dressed in tweed and watch "Seabiscuit."
Well, Golden Gate fields still continues.
Both parks have the ability to pay a little more for your seat and sit with better dressed people. Bay Meadows did it in a way that made sense, laid out horizontally. Golden Gate Fields does it strange --for $1 you get to go right up to the paddock and the rail. For $3 you are at the height of the cheap seats at the Opera House. And for $10 you get to sit in a section so high binoculars are required.
If you get out of the $1 section at Golden Gate Fields the dress code improves ...at the cost of being removed somewhat from the race itself.
Bay Meadows has a much better layout in this regard, as the more expensive seats have their own rail section and reserved area on the paddock, so you're not so removed from the race itself for having paid more.
I recently read "The Racing Tribe" by Kate Fox and found it a witty and entertaining read about the British culture around horse races.
Sundays are currently $1 parking, and you can place a $2 bet with a real human being for a cashier and watch some gorgeous horses run full out for a total of 9 races.
There's families there with kids and there's quite a few couples there on dates. And there's something where a different teen girl dresses up complete with beauty pagent sash and a tiara for each race that I didn't catch.
I'd say the weekend horseraces still have some class.
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