Bay Meadows Documentary. The Ralph Neeves story-Seabiscuit-Russell Baze

[andymays]

http://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/per...ows-all-s-left

Excerpt:

The film showcases people such as track legend Boots O’Neal.

As a 10-year-old sneaking in via the track’s restroom window, O’Neal recounts being enthralled as he watched Seabiscuit, undefeated in his lifetime at Bay Meadows, win the Bay Meadows Handicap.

As an 84-year-old pari-mutuel clerk, O’Neal was at the track on its final day. Rubin was there as well, with a full film crew, including one of the five cameras in an open stall of the starting gate.

Jockey Russell Baze, who shattered Laffit Pincay’s Bay Meadows wins record, is featured prominently in the film.

Rubin also tells the story of Ralph Neeves, who in 1936 was the leading contender to win the meet’s jockey competition and a gold watch from Bing Crosby.

“Neeves had a spill, he was trampled and declared dead,” Rubin said.

The movie documents the happy ending to Neeves’ apparent demise after a doctor-friend in the county morgue ignored the toe tag and shot some adrenaline into the lifeless body of Neeves, who sprang to life and wound up racing the next day.


Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/per...#ixzz1DqpwRS3h

[joanied]

Good find, andy...I hope they make it into a DVD...I'll buy it...bet it's a great documentary...
I rubbed horses at Bay Meadows for a time.

[andymays]

Originally Posted by joanied

Good find, andy...I hope they make it into a DVD...I'll buy it...bet it's a great documentary...
I rubbed horses at Bay Meadows for a time.

I like the Ralph Neeves story. I crack up every time I hear it. Different people always add something to it.

One of my friends told me after he woke up in the morgue they drove him back to the track and some of the fans were going outside crying. When he saw them he asked them what they were crying about and they told him Ralph Neeves died. I'm sure some of the people that knew who he was thought they were seeing a ghost.

That's one version. It may or may not be true.

[joanied]

Wouldn't surprise me if it was true! I wonder if Neeves had a near death experience...OMG, imagine if he hadn't got that shot...gives me the willies just thinking about it.

you know, andy...the track has a million stories, most of which probably grow as time goes by...but that don't matter, they are great stories and need to be told!

Thanks for a great read!

[beertapper]

better yet, just post it on youtube... far wider reach

[joanied]

That too!

[BlueShoe]

Originally Posted by andymays

I like the Ralph Neeves story. I crack up every time I hear it. Different people always add something to it.

According to the story, when Neeves arrived back at the track from the morgue, he actually intended to ride the rest of the card on his scheduled mounts. When track officials refused to allow him to ride the rest of the day, he was said to have become quite irate. The guy sure had moxy.

[surfdog89]

I grew up with the Neeves Family ..... I lived in Cardiff and the kids grew up in Del Mar..... Craig the oldest son had a cool yellow 57 Chevy.... He would cruz down to the beach. He had great stories about his Dad. He was a dear mate that passed away in 08. A time long passed in Horse-Racing........but was preserved in the great book Sea Biscuit......... Craig knew I loved horse racing and he gave me some great stuff from his Dad's collection...of horse-racing like..... old tickets and programs of Bay Meadows and Del Mar......

[andymays]

Thanks for the contibutions. Good stuff.

[andymays]

http://www.horseraceinsider.com/line...ited/#comments

Excerpt:

For the Bay Meadows documentary, almost every one of the Fox's 1,500 seats was filled. The jockey Russell Baze, a prominent part of the film and now well past the 11,000 mark in career wins, was there. So was Jack Liebau, the track's last president, and Greg Gunderson, whose father ran the track for decades. Bob Gunderson, now 92 and recovering from a broken leg, married into the Bill Kyne family. Kyne, a bookmaker who went straight, was the free-wheeling impresario who helped prod California into launching the parimutuel betting era in the 1930s and built Bay Meadows after making a $5,000 sidebet that the track would open on time.

http://www.horseraceinsider.com/line...ited/#comments

[surfdog89]

Thanks for the update!

[onefast99]

http://eventful.com/redwoodcity/even...01-036247087-2


I heard Steve Byk talk about this movie, are they connected?

[forced89]

Looks like a DVD is available from KM2 Communications website for $20 + $5 S&H.

[joanied]

Thanks, andy...appreciate the link!

been having internet connection troubles here, so it's touch & go...but I had the time to read...cool stuff

[DerbyTrail]

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