Jockey Club at San Mateo Events Center

This place takes in loads of dough, and just like horse racing itself it doesn’t give a damn about it’s customers. When you walk in the door they charge 5 dollars, if you want a racing form for the tracks that are running it costs 9 dollars, if you then want a program it costs another 2.50. That’s 16.50…Oh wait Im not done… if you want to «upgrade» to their Turf Club it costs another 3 dollars.
I have been to many Turf Clubs which usually feature fine dining and your own television some of them even have a betting machine.
Here? There were a couple tables with TV’s but they were resevered.
Ok so where do I sit? Oh if you like you can sit with Jimmy or Sonny or whatever this guys name is… I mean he seemed like a nice enough guy but I didnt pay a extra 3 bucks to sit with someone I don’t know.
Basically what this place is is a factory for hardcore gamblers who want one thing… to gamble, don’t even think of bringing a date unless your looking for her to dump you.
If your a hardcore gambler this is your place.
If you and your friends want to do something different instead of the same watering hole after work well… go aomewhere else

HORSE RACING IS MY «INDIAN CASINO»
As you can see the title says it all. The types of gambling I do are horse racing, slot machines, and craps, which I started to play last year in Las Vegas. Of all the gambling I do horse racing is the one I gamble on the most yet also the betting activity I lose the least on a betting day. How is that? Unlike slot machines in horse racing you don’t lose that much in short period of time. I’ll paraphrase it using the analogy of Sports Science from ESPN. An average slot machine spin is 3 ½ seconds according to «60 Minutes». The Kentucky Derby on the other hand is considered the «Greatest 2 Minutes in Sports.» In a two minute span for one horse race the slot machine you’re playing during that same time is about 34 spins. If you’re playing the quarter machine and betting only one credit of 25 cent that is only $ 8.50. That isn’t much you say however most people like to play the progressives or multi-​line slot machine to bet the maximum. Let’s say the maximum credit is 5 credits. On a quarter machine that is $ 1.25 per spin and times that by 34 spins that is $ 42.50 for those two minutes. Of course that amount isn’t much during those two minutes as most people bet more on one race. Here’s the kicker — there is usually 30 minutes after every race. During those 30 minutes there is about 514 spins. Using the same figures above for 514 spins a one credit bet of 25 cents is already $ 128.50, but if you play the maximum of $ 1.25 per spin that results in $ 642.50. Add this amount to the $ 42.50 for two minutes and get the idea.
I started watching horse racing when I was 13 years old. Of course I was too young to gamble but I would handicap horses on TV as if I was gambling. So when I was old enough to gamble the first thing I legally gambled was horse racing at Bay Meadows Racetrack. I had a lot of great memories at Bay Meadows. My first Kentucky Derby bet was at Bay Meadows Racetrack in 1999 when I bet Charismatic on $ 2 on odds of 33 – 1 in which he won. Several years later I won over $ 1,000 on 1 day on back to back weekends. I felt the San Mateo County Fair was more fun when racing was happening at the same time at Bay Meadows Racetrack. During its last year of racing in 2008 I was there on the last Friday night at Bay Meadows in March where it was fully packed yet I also there at the on the last day of racing at Bay Meadows in August of that year.
My original rating of this facility was based on that Bay Meadows was closed. I’ve come to deal with the closure of the racetrack. I’ve also started to appreciate this pari-​mutuel facility. An update review is warranted because I’m the Dukedoms of check-​ins here. (I would be hypocritical and contradicting of myself if I keep going here and still have my 2 star rating.) When it first opened right after the closure of Bay Meadows it wasn’t the most elegant facility. In fact it looked like a bingo betting area for senior citizens. Throughout the years the facility has improved with better telecast screens. The layout is simple with rows of tables and chairs. That simplicity makes handicappers gamble. In fact the Jockey Club looks like the 1973 movie «The Sting» but the betting activities here are legal. LOL. There is cooked food at the Jockey Club Grill such as chicken tenders with fries and hamburger that is served.
Even though I have an appreciation of this facility and prefer it over to most Indian casinos I’ll be honest I can’t give this place a perfect 5 star rating because it’s not Bay Meadows Racetrack.

Unfortunately for no good reason they tore down the historic Bay Meadows Race track a few years back. for what? with the real estate downturn there it sits a big empty lot, instead of keeping the old track and surrounding it with condos and stores like they did at Gulstream Park in Miami, but no that was not to be. In any event, what we now have is the Jockey Club at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds. If you want to go get your horse race betting fix this is one of the nicer ones. It is clean, it has two buildings, big open grassy space between the buildings where you can sit outside and read your paper between races. The people that work there are nice. You cant bring in food or drink and beers i.e. are $ 5.50 for a draft. They busted me with a bottle of water. Beers were $ 3.75 a few years back for same size. Parking is free, it is safe, they offer quite a few race tracks to wager on and it seems like a race is running every 15 minutes or so.

First things first… I am NOT A degenerate, NOT Ghetto, NOT scum or whatever the previous three «dudes“mentioned.I BET ON HORSES… This is what this place is!!!
An OTB Off Track Betting site! I go here to bet. Yeah its loud, chaotic at times… etc. Its $ being won and lost. Yeah there are some rough lookin folks up in there. ITS OTB. Its NOt a coutillion, its NOT breakfast at Tittany‘s, Its NOT a library or Sunday breakfast at Your Moms! Its a OTB… Its a cool place to come bet on the horses if u dont live next door to GGF or the fair circuit track. If U dont mind loud (WIN or LOSE) mostly friendly folks, this spot is 4 You. If U listen carefully you‘ll get a tip here and there. People are people… By the way the «Club-Burger“is one of the best I had… If U wanna Bet, grab some decent grub whilst bettin‘ and Who knows maybe have a «guardian“bettor sit/​stand next to You and tell U how to double Your $ this is the place for You… It is what it is… IF Not then stay @ home and open a TVG account…

I think this is one of those places I wish I could write an anonymous review for b/​c I don’t want my friends to know that I’m The Duke of check ins at a degenerate gambler dump like this.
No joke though, I only come here for the Kentucky Derby and you get what you pay for.
The place is loaded with old balls degenerates who will stick you with a plastic coffee stir straw if you get in their way while they run to the machine to place their next bet.
The betting is done either in person (old school) or via machine (semi new school) and it’s easy enough.
You can get your drink on, you can get your eat on, but it’s gonna cost you. Not AT&T park outrageous but it’s close.