Sunday, July 9, at around 6:25 p.m., the 2023 Alameda County Fair horse racing meet came to an end.

It wrapped up one of the most successful meets in some time, culminating with the final day featuring the inaugural running of the Pleasanton Mile.

The Mile had a purse of $150,000 making it the richest race in the history of the Northern California Fair circuit. In fact, it was the richest race in all the United States on Sunday.

That's something that has never happened in Pleasanton, yet alone any other fair. For one day, the eyes of horse racing in the United States were on Pleasanton and the Alameda County Fair.

And that was pretty cool.

It's not an easy road for the fair circuit when it comes to horse racing. In Northern California, we are down to Alameda County (Pleasanton), The State Fair (Sacramento), Sonoma County (Santa Rosa), Humboldt County (Ferndale) and The Big Fresno Fair when it comes to horse racing meets.

Over the years, we have lost the San Joaquin County (Stockton), Solano County (Vallejo) and San Mateo County (former Bay Meadows) horse racing meets.

The horse racing groups at each of the fairs face external opposition from bigger tracks like Golden Gate Fields and face internal pressures. It's almost unfathomable to many involved with horse racing that there are groups within the structure of fairs that would not mind if horse racing went away.

There are feelings, and I know this is the case at more than one fair, that feel horse racing gets in the way at the fair. The thoughts are that the fairs would be better off without horse racing and that most fairgoers attend the races because they are at the fair.

That's not even close to reality.

Horse racing brings more people to the fair plain and simple, and it was on full display this year.

The thoughts in developing the Pleasanton Mile was to build a sense of pride throughout the community, building Mile Day into a tradition.

It was a home run of the grand slam variety.

The California Association of Racing Fairs, along with key members of the Alameda County Fair Board of Directors, made this happen. There may have been some anxious moments and some arm twisting, but it was given the green light.

Allen Aldrich, the longtime Pleasanton resident who is the chair of the Fair Racing and Equestrian Committee, along with Tom Doutrich, the CARF racing secretary, were the driving forces behind the Mile.

Jerome Hoban, the CEO of the fair, was instrumental in helping push the Mile through. The other members of the fair board and administration that were willing to keep an open mind were also key.

If the inaugural running is any indication, Mile Day will be a key moment in horse racing in all the United States. That there are people wondering if Mile Day will be a one-off is also hard to believe.

For the record, during fair racing, a handle (the amount of money wagered) of $1 million a day is always a goal. On weekdays that can be tough, but that is the number to attain on a good day.

The handle for July 9 was almost $4 million. Yep, 4 million dollars! One day -- that's it -- one day.

The vibe on Sunday as we welcomed horses who have raced in big races across the world was amazing. I have been attending the races in Pleasanton either as a young fan, a reporter covering the races, or as an employee hosting the handicapping seminars and promoting the races, for over 50 years.

The buzz I felt on Sunday was arguably the best I have ever felt at the races in Pleasanton. When I was doing the interview in the winners' circle with Tiago Pereira, the jockey of Katonah, the winning horse in the Mile, I announced the race was not only the richest in Northern California history for a fair race, but that it was the richest in all of the United States on Sunday.

That brought a huge roar from the crowd.

It was tangible and I felt it as I stood there, soaking it all in.

It was a roar of pride and accomplishment. It was a roar that you're not going to get from a carnival ride, an exhibit hall or even a concert. Maybe the pig races come close, but it was not the same.

Those of us close to the situation exchanged hugs and handshakes after the Mile, fully understanding the gravity of what we just saw happen.

It might have been a seminal moment in bringing fair racing meets the respect they deserve. Fair racing is the grassroots of building horse racing audiences. It is by far the best way to bring new fans into the industry, and that's not open for debate.

Those who don't agree have their heads in the sand, or somewhere else.

If horse racing is going to begin to thrive again, fair racing is a must. The Pleasanton Mile is a must. If the first year can generate this much of a buzz, not to mention that big a handle, moving forward it will only get bigger.

Here's hoping to see everyone next summer for the second running of the Pleasanton Mile. It's what the people of the Pleasanton community deserve.