F I R S TP R E V453NEXTLAST

Mini Series, Day 3 of 3
The history of Golden Gate Fields is a diverse one. Prior to being a horse race track this location was the site of the Giant Powder Company, a firm that manufactured black powder, dynamite and nitroglycerin. Between 1879 and 1892, the plant blew up four times. During World War II, the property was used by the Navy to store hundreds of landing craft headed for the Pacific Theater. The track was later featured in the 1940s film The Shadow of the Thin Man. In the 1950s the legendary horse Silky Sullivan, nicknamed "The Loveable Laggard" was stabled here and today remains the only horse to be buried in the infield.

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