Freddy -

Your argument would be more convincing if you didn't speak in such uninformed extremes:

"Bay Meadows is no more is because there product sucked" It may have "sucked" for you, a gambler who wants large fields for a higher payoff but for those of us in the Bay Area who loved horse racing and own horses it was just fine. Hundreds of folks were employed at the track, thousands came every week to watch the horses run and it may have not have been the same caliber of horses as Kentucky or New York tracks but it was still better than may tracks across America (Fonner Park, Emerald Downs, Arapahoe Park, etc.). Not every town can have a track that has multiple graded stakes races each week (and how many do?).

"California has NO horses so why do you need so many tracks?" Another extreme and a horribly Eastern biases statement, I won't even begin to list the great horses to come out of California. As I'm sure you know, approximately 35,000 thoroughbred foals are registered each year in the U.S. The largest number of foals are born in Kentucky, Florida, and California - where are all of the horses born in California going to race at?

Yes, we all want the "product" to be good but please understand that there is more to this sport and tracks like Bay Meadows than just the handle and what's good for the gambler. Many people made a living working at Bay Meadows, many horses were cared for by professional trainers at this track, and many, many people enjoyed their time spent attending races at this track (some more than others and unfortunately not enough) and now they miss it. This article (and some of Steve's ire, I believe) was meant to make folks that don't care, or people that only care about how much they could make betting it, aware of just how significant this loss is. People care that it died, and they don't understand why others don't care as well.

OK, I'll get off the soapbox now... and get ready to be attacked :zz:

I never attack its a forum to express opinions and share thoughts.

Bay Meadows had embarrassing small fields. It simply wasn't a good product. I guess if you raced there or worked there its demise comes as a blow. As an owner you can race elsewhere. I have a NYBred that hopefully will start in a week or so. Of course I would like him to be good enough to race in NY (not Fiinger Lakes) but he will have to race where it makes financial sense.
The folks that worked at Bay Meadows were unfortuate to have to work at a place that was UNSUCCESSFUL. This is no defferent then when someone works for a MFG. company that fails..It sucks but this is life.

As for California and were are the people going to race.. What horses? Have you scene the entry's at Hollywood? Other then the state bred races the fields are 4 to 6 horses, that is not OK.. So I guess the answer to your question where are they going to race is best answered with where the F are they racing now? Disney?

Unfortuately unsuccessful business's fail and when they do folks get hurt. The fact that the track should be treated differently then a printing company or a garbage collection business is just unfair. When the printer goes out of business the good folks that work for printer lose there job and need to find one at another printer. You know Bay Meadows goes out so you get a job at Santa Anita or a riding school or you change careers. Just because
it was a nice place doesnt exclude it from the same economic issues that face other business.. Of course you could have cured everything with slots..lol