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Prince Louis Andre Poniatowski (1864-1954), a brother-in-law of William Crocker, financed the construction of the Tanforan Race Track in San Bruno, CA, in 1898-1899. Poniatowski lived in the Bay Area between 1892 and 1903, nearby in San Mateo, CA, and during this short period moved in the highest business circles using his royal pedigree to make deals. The Tanforan Race Track was named for Toribio Tanforan (born 1822 in Lima, Peru), grandson of Jose Antonio Sanchez, original owner of the Mexican land grant Rancho Buri Buri. The Sanchez Family received title to the rancho provisionally in 1827 and officially in 1835. Many well-heeled residents of the Northern San Mateo cities of Burlingame, San Mateo and Hillsborough, CA, were horse enthusiasts and prominent supporters of the Tanforan course. Located just south of San Francisco, this location had many advantages: it was beyond the jurisdiction of the City of San Francisco and its law enforcement, rail service operated nearby to transport spectators, and it was near to the horse farms of Peninsula landowners. Originally limited to horse racing, it later hosted a variety of other competitions including dog, automobile and motorcycle racing. Some of the earliest air shows in the Bay Area occurred at the track, the first taking place in 1910. During the World Wars, Tanforan was requisitioned for military purposes; during the first, it housed a military facility; during the second, it functioned as a staging point in the internment of Japanese and Japanese-Americans. After it closed in 1964, the Tanforan Shopping Center was built on its property.

Opponents of paramutuel wagering succeeded in stopping gambling at Tanforan (and the rest of CA) from 1911-1934. The ending of Prohibition also influenced the easing of gambling laws during the Depression.

Demolished; Tanforan burned on July 31, 1964.

PCAD id: 17703