A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle announced that Golden Gate Fields will be up for auction in the wake of parent company, Magna Entertainment Corp.’s, bankruptcy filing. The racecourse, which had its inaugural meet in 1941, has a loyal following. Among other things, Golden Gate Fields is the home track of Russell Baze, the winningest jockey in the history of thoroughbred horse racing.

Regarding the upcoming auction, handicapper Monty of Jack's Blue Card expressed a sentiment shared by many, “I hope the people who buy it keep it as a racing facility…. I hope we have racing here forever.”

We asked three local handicappers to share some of their thoughts about Golden Gate Fields and tips for understanding how to handicap there. The handicappers we contacted were Rod Young, the owner of Turfdom and our current guest commentator for Golden Gate; Steven Kolb, author of How to Win the Pick 6; and Monty of Jack’s Blue Card, a successful selection service that has been operating at Golden Gate Fields for 30 years. Some handicapping factors discussed were the Tapeta Footings surface, field size, the turf course, the jockey colony and the trainers.

Appealing Location, Climate and Food at Golden Gate Fields

For people living close or visiting the Bay Area, part of the track’s appeal is its location. According to Young, “Golden Gate Fields is my home track and I love it. I am an owner as well as a player, and my horses race and train over this surface 365 days a year. The view of the Golden Gate Bridge, the city of San Francisco, and the San Francisco Bay, are unparalled in the world of racing. It is definitely ‘My City by the Bay’.”

Kolb also mentioned the location and views. In addition, he added compliments for the food, service and overall experience. “During the summer on 70 & 80 degree days you can wine and dine outdoors. Top notch customer service. Excellent security!!!! You can sit and eat and watch the races from a variety of places … All you can eat Prime Rib buffet is great for special occasions -- Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Holiday’s and special events.” Kolb also appreciated the track events and contests as well as the overall experience, “The experience is great for all levels of players and customers. Families and kids can have a blast on weekends …PLUS the service and food is top-notch: I’d have no problem saying that GGF might be one of the top ten tracks in the country,” said Kolb.

Baze and the Racing Surface Set Golden Gate Fields Apart from Other Tracks

Having a star jockey like Russell Baze adds to the excitement at Golden Gate Fields. When asked what distinguishes racing at Golden Gate Field, the first thing Kolb mentioned was Baze. “Golden Gate Fields is home to Hall of Fame Jockey Russell Baze. Baze has more wins than any other jockey in the history of horse racing. You can watch him race almost every race day. Will he reach 12,000 wins in his career?” Monty also expressed respect for Baze. “The guy gives 1000% every time he rides a horse… I’m not saying that any of the other ones don’t…. Just that he’s a pretty unique individual.”

The track’s synthetic surface, Tapeta Footings, is a controversial aspect of Golden Gate Fields. Some players dislike synthetic surfaces as a rule. Others have adapted and like them. Young, who is a horse owner as well as a handicapper, sees the surface as a positive trait. “The Tapeta surface at Golden Gate makes this a much better and safer surface for horses to race and train over year round. Injuries have been greatly reduced since the installation of this synthetic surface 3 years ago. There are only 2 Tapeta surfaces installed in the continental U.S. today, GGF and Presque Isle which I believe is in Western Pennsylvania. The year round climate of Golden Gate is ideal for this type of racing surface. Because GGF sits on the San Francisco Bay, the weather is very mild year round; it never gets too hot and it never gets too cold, and this is what you want for a synthetic racetrack. What you train on in the morning is what you get when you race in the afternoon. The problems with the synthetic surfaces in Southern California, Santa Anita and Del Mar, have been just the opposite, and the weather and change in temperature have played a big part in their ongoing troubles.”

Handicapping the Tapeta Footings Surface

But how is the Tapeta Footings surface from a horse playing perspective?

“Horses either like the synthetic track and perform well on it or don’t,” commented Monty.

Young offers this insight about handicapping Golden Gate Fields’ synthetic track: “Like most race tracks, one has to know the idiosyncrasies of a particular layout to be a good handicapper, and Golden Gate Fields is no different. The inside portion of the track is not the place to be. The only exception to that is when it rains. Then that portion of the track becomes tighter and may even be better than the outside lanes, but that is the exception, not the rule. Jockeys who take their mounts to the rail to save ground continuously become bogged down and are not doing us bettors any favors. Route races, one mile or over, favor horses from off the pace, 4 lengths back or more at the half mile pole. For most days, sprints are pretty even with regards to speed holding up. If a bias exists, you can usually tell after the first 3 races. The good jockeys adjust to that bias, and the bad ones just continue to make the same mistakes.”

Monty also noted the impact of rain on the track. “The synthetic track is unpredictable. It definitely changes with the weather. I seem to like handicapping it when it has more moisture in it. Rain doesn’t hurt it…. Pace is definitely important.” Additionally, Monty noted that the track changes over the course of the week. “It seems like every Wednesday the inside speed horses are at a disadvantage. It seems to speed up as the week goes on and speed has a better chance … On Wednesdays [the track] favors outside closers, later in the week it’s more even. Then the up-close horses can win, so can mid-pack, so can closers.”

How Is Golden Gate Fields Different To Handicap Than Other Racecourses?

According to Kolb, one of the challenges at the track ‘where the Bay comes to play’ is field size. “Golden Gate Fields generally has smaller fields than most tracks. Often race days may have only one race with eight or more runners. This has been improving – slightly – this year. Because of field size, Golden Gate Fields is not a track to easily make a lot of quick money. I suggest staying with Exacta’s, Pick 3’s and Pick 4’s.”

Monty commented on turf course. “Generally the turf course is a speed-favoring course, because the rails are out. Generally when the rails are in closers would have an advantage. Speed it pretty dominant on the turf.”

Kolb summarized a few important points about the jockey colony and trainers. “The jockey colony is experienced and easy enough to handicap. The trainers tend to have smaller barns, with the exception of Jerry Hollendorfer – one of the best trainers in the country.”