Looking back. In our fast-paced world this is not easy to do. Perceptions of the past can vary widely—sometimes the past seems strange, sometimes idyllic, sometimes horrific, sometimes entertaining and amusing—but whatever the impression, it is frequently interesting when compared with today. The perspective gained can lead to a fuller appreciation of what currently exists or knowledge that helps inform change for the future.

Albany is a small city—approximately 1.7 square miles—but it has a rich history, full of interesting people and intriguing events. In this blog, we’ll explore some of these, in no particular order.

All text © Karen Sorensen

The rain had finally stopped. The enormous three-tiered grandstand—the first of its kind in the country, built with 1,000 tons of steel—stood new and gleaming. The final touches to the elaborately landscaped grounds and lavishly decorated clubhouse were complete—and more than 30,000 horse racing fans had reportedly filed through the turnstiles. But there was one thing missing from the January 1941 opening day at the racetrack known today as Golden Gate Fields—horses.

The last-minute cancellation of races—due to a muddy, dangerous track—by the California Horse Racing Board may have taken some race fans by surprise that day, but it was not the first (or the last) disappointment experienced by the Golden Gate Turf Club, the original horse racing entity at the racetrack in Albany.  In fact, it was just the latest setback in a years-long struggle to open the new, highly anticipated racecourse (which operated for decades until June 2024).

Local Groups Opposed to Track

First had come the opposition of Berkeley/Albany religious and civic groups, which were morally against a nearby gambling institution. The UC Regents were also opposed for similar reasons.

Then came multiple challenges and delays in the construction of the state-of-the-art facility, originally scheduled to open in July 1940.  Not the least of these difficulties was removing half of Flemings Point, a major endeavor that flattened the bayside hill near the Albany/Berkeley border where an 1800s dynamite factory once stood. Tons of dirt were moved to create a space for the grandstand and fill in some 60 acres of tideland for the track and parking lot.

Once construction of the facility itself began, delays caused the horse racing board to postpone the assignment of racing days. When the board finally gave the green light, the Turf Club scrambled to finish the track in time for its first attempted grand opening in late December 1940.

No expense was spared—including numerous hours of overtime pay—to finish the track, which cost $2.5 million to build (roughly $55 million in today’s dollars). The Golden Gate Turf Club was to be the largest of three horse racing tracks in the Bay Area.

Horse Racing was Once as Popular as Football

Thousands of race fans were expected for the opening of the Albany track (in the 1940s horse racing was as popular as football is today). Newspapers were filled with information about the four-day “Gala Celebration” opening, advising fans on everything from the horses, to what to wear, to where to go after the races.

Concern about the health and safety of racehorses—seen regularly today—was not as prominently on the minds of the public in 1940. Headlines leading up to the grand opening often declared the racecourse the “largest and finest in America.”

“California’s Calamity Track” Goes Bankrupt

Then the rain came. Days and days of record-breaking rain turned into weeks and weeks. The Albany track became so soggy and muddy it was declared unfit for racing.

After the California Horse Racing Board delayed the track’s opening several times, the Golden Gate Turf Club finally began operating in February 1941. But after just five days of racing, the track filed for bankruptcy and the facility was shut down due to poor track conditions.

The Golden Gate Turf Club was so besieged by problems, the San Francisco Examiner called it “California’s calamity track…harassed constantly by rain, light mutuel play and creditors.”

Early Horse Racing in Emeryville Shut Down

Initially, the return of horse racing to the East Bay was trumpeted as a big deal. Fans had not seen East Bay racing since the old Emeryville track (originally called the Oakland Trotting Park) was closed in the early 1900s.

At that time a nationwide push against gambling resulted in the 1909 Walker-Otis Anti-Racetrack Gambling Bill, which made gambling on horse racing illegal in California. Horse racing collapsed in the state and did not return in earnest to California until the early 1930s with the opening of tracks like Bay Meadows and Santa Anita, and the reopening of Tanforan.

Hollywood Adds Glamour to the Return of Horse Racing

With the Great Depression taking its toll on government budgets, California legalized pari-mutuel betting on horse racing in 1933, and as racetracks began opening once again, the state quickly enacted taxes on racing revenues. In Southern California, racing was aided by Hollywood stars like Bing Crosby, an investor in both racetracks and racehorses, who attended meets and brought glamour to the sport.

The announcement of a modern new racetrack at the Berkeley/Albany border meant some of that glamour would arrive in the East Bay (Crosby was initially listed as a member of the Golden Gate Turf Club’s board of directors). Initial moral objections to racetrack gambling were drowned out by supporters. With predicted crowds of 25,000+, East Bay businesses were excited by the opening of a racecourse and quickly jumped on the bandwagon of promotion.

Prior to construction, a groundbreaking ceremony was attended by thousands of people, including film celebrities. When the track finally opened, the newspapers exploded with ads and coverage, including society pages with a who’s who of attendees and photo spreads of fashionably dressed race fans.

Army and Navy Take Over Track

Fans were disappointed when the track quickly went bankrupt, then were buoyed by several reorganization attempts—but they would have to wait longer than expected for the return of East Bay horse racing. The United States entered World War ll in December 1941 and soon the track became more valuable for military operations than for racing.

In the spring of 1942, the army began using the Golden Gate Turf Club as a training center. By February 1944, the Navy took over the track to establish the Naval Landing Force Equipment Depot, the largest of three depots in the U.S. built for servicing and repairing small landing craft used during the war.

Soon some 3,000 Navy personnel were working at the site. Landing craft were lined up along the track, infield and parking lot, and the grandstand and clubhouse were converted for barracks, repair shops, and offices. A pier was built into the bay to facilitate launching and testing of the landing craft.

Racing Returns to Albany

The Navy would occupy the site until mid-1947. Horse racing did not return to the Albany track until September 1947, two years after the end of the war and nearly seven years after the track was built.

When racing finally began again, the public responded. More than 30,000 fans thronged the September 9 grand re-opening of the newly named Golden Gate Fields racetrack, creating a massive traffic jam on local highways.

Over the next several decades thousands of people showed up for race days at the track, which attracted top jockeys including Bill Shoemaker and Russel Baze, and famous horses such as Silky Sullivan (buried in the track’s infield) and Citation.

End of an Era

In more recent years, the popularity of horse racing has declined. Increased gambling competition, online betting, and news of numerous horse deaths have all affected the industry, reducing the number of fans showing up at racecourses. Tanforan (the oldest inner Bay Area track) was the first Bay Area racecourse to close in 1964. Bay Meadows shut down in 2008 and Golden Gate Fields held its last race on June 9, 2024.

As the era of major Bay Area horse racing comes to a close, Golden Gate Fields—the track that had so many problems beginning—finished its run as the last track standing.

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