Golden Gate Fields is planning to race on a Saturday-to-Monday schedule later this summer and fall. The move eliminates racing on Fridays during the six-week season that begins Aug. 26 and concludes Oct. 2.
Last week, general manager David Duggan told Daily Racing Forum that a move to Monday racing will be an attempt to boost handle for the Northern California track.
Few tracks operate on Mondays after Labor Day, so fans of California horse racing could have a new venue to place their bets on Mondays later this summer.
New schedule still needs approval
Golden Gate Fields currently operates horse races on a Friday-through-Sunday basis. That schedule will stay in tact through June 11.
The proposed schedule change must be approved by the California Horse Racing Board, which is expected to address Golden Gate’s application in July.
If the schedule changes are approved, Golden Gate Fields will race concurrently with Southern California tracks on Saturdays and Sundays. On Monday afternoons, the venue will largely be alone on the national simulcast schedule.
Mondays and Tuesdays are typically the slowest racing days of the week, as few tracks are operating. In fact, last September, Arizona Downs and Arapahoe Park were the only tracks in the west to race on Mondays.
“I get it that Monday is the first day back to work, but there are still bettors out there and I think it will work. I think there is an upside,” Duggan told DRF.
Duggan also said that by racing on Mondays, Golden Gate Fields will gain added exposure. Monday events will be broadcast through FanDuel TV, formerly TVG.
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About Golden Gate Fields
Golden Gate Fields is an American horse racing track in Berkeley, California. The track is located in the San Francisco Bay area along the shoreline of the San Francisco Bay adjacent to the Eastshore Freeway. Its address is 1100 Eastshore Hwy, Berkeley, CA 94710.
Opened in 1941, Golden Gate Fields became the only major thoroughbred racetrack in California after the Bay Meadows racetrack closed in 2008. It is currently owned by The Stronach Group.
Golden Gate Fields’ facilities currently include a 1-mile synthetic track and a turf course measuring 9/10 of a mile, or 7 furlongs plus 132 feet. There are stalls for 1,420 horses, a main grandstand with 8,000 seats and a clubhouse with seating for about 5,200 customers.
There is also a Turf Club with seating for about 1,500 and parking for over 8,500 cars.
