THEIR EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE AND THE PROFOUND IMPACT ON THE LIVES THEY TOUCHED. >>> FIRST SHOCK, NOW THE WORRY IS SETTLING IN. ONE DAY AFTER GOLDEN GATE FIELDS ANNOUNCED IT WILL BE CLOSING FOR GOOD AFTER EIGHT DECADES, RACETRACK WORKERS ARE SCRAMBLE TO GO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S NEXT FOR THEM. LOCALS ARE WONDERING WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR THE WATER FRONT LOCATION. NBC BAY AREA'S JODI HERNANDEZ HAS MORE FROM BERKELEY. >> HORSE RACING IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. IT'S THE BEAUTY OF THE SPORT AND THE BEAUTY OF THE HORSE. THEY'RE AMAZING CREATURES, INCREDIBLE. >> FRANCIS JEFFERSON'S DAYS OF RACING HER THREE THOROUGH BRED HORSES ARE NUMBERED. THE COMPANY THAT OWNS THE RACETRACK HAS ANNOUNCED IT'S CLOSING IT DOWN AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND WILL BEEF UP OPERATIONS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. >> DISBELIEF, AND AT THE SAME TIME, ANGER THAT THIS DECISION WOULD BE MADE AS QUICKLY AS IT WAS. >> Reporter: JEFFERSON SAYS THE IMPACT WILL BE HUGE. IT WILL LEAVE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITHOUT A MAJOR RACETRACK, AND WILL LEAVE HUNDREDS WITHOUT JOBS. >> AND JUST ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ASSOCIATED. WHETHER IT'S A HOT WALKERS, PONY BOYS, EXERCISE RIDERS, JOCKEYS, THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HORSE RACING AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE DISPLACED. MOST PEOPLE HAVE SPENT YEARS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES GENERATIONS AT GOLDEN GATE FIELD. THERE ARE WHOLE FAMILIES WHO LIVE AT GOLDEN GATE FIELD, AND THEY'RE NOT JUST GOING TO PACK UP, YOU KNOW, AND END UP IN ARCADIA, IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. >> I DON'T KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS IN ALBANY WHO GO TO THE TRACK MUCH. IT'S NOT BEEN A HUGE COMMUNITY SPACE FOR US RECENTLY. >> ALBANY'S MAYOR SAYS THE TRACK'S HAY DAY HAS LONG PASSED WHILE HE AND THE MAYOR OF BERKELEY SAY THE MAYOR MUST BE SUPPORTED DURING THE TRANSITION. THEY ARE EXCITED BY THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFORM THE 140 ACRE SITE. HOUSING AND RETAIL, AS WELL AS OPEN SPACE ARE ALL POSSIBILITIES. >> I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THIS OPENS UP FOR THE CITY AND WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THE SPACE. >> Reporter: THE MAYOR SAYS IT WILL LARGELY BE UP TO THE GROUP TO DECIDE WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO WITH THE SITE BUT ANY REZONING WOULD NEED TO BE APPROVED BY VOTERS. MEANWHILE, MANY LIKE FRANCIS JEFFERSON SAY THEY ARE NOT READY TO SAY GOOD-BYE. >> WE WERE ALL TALKING TO EACH OTHER SAYING, OH, MY GOD, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WE ONLY HAVE UNTIL THE END
