State horse racing board approves plans to move major meets to Pleasanton fairgrounds

Pleasanton is set to become the new hub for horse racing in Northern California after the California Horse Racing Board voted to allocate the rest of the 2024 horse race meets to take place at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, according to a press release from the board.

The decision to do so on March 21 came after Golden Gate Fields, the horse racing track in Berkeley that had typically hosted these meets, surprisingly announced last June that it was permanently closing at the end of this race season, according to the California Authority of Racing Fairs.

CARF is a joint-powers authority that conducts business activity with fair associations like the Pleasanton fairgrounds and also represents the horse racing industry.

“We did not have a great deal of time to put Golden State Horse Racing together,” Larry Swartzlander, the executive director of CARF, said in a press release. “However, we did have an incredible depth of experience. We brought together the best and the brightest of our sport. Our commitment was to develop a horse racing plan that is modern, enhances the economic and social health of the community, is safe for the horses and jockeys, fun for our fans and generates excitement in Northern California.”

According to the press release recapping the board’s decision, the board unanimously voted in favor of setting the race meet dates for Oct. 16 to Dec. 25 after three hours of discussion and over 20 Northern California stakeholders expressing their support for the decision.

CARF stated in its press release that while the news of the Golden Gate Fields race track closing was premature, stakeholders in the horse racing community took it as a challenge to reinvigorate the sport. That’s why the CARF Board of Directors unanimously voted on working with Pleasanton to create an “accessible crown jewel of Northern California horse racing.”

“We anticipate more dynamic racing fields, higher purses and betting opportunities that enhance the fun,” Swartzlander said in the press release. “At the same time, we have adhered closely to ideas offered by experts as we continue focusing on the health of our horses and jockeys.”

According to the CARF press release, the authority chose the fairgrounds after having reviewed several options because it was a financially sound location. It stated that Pleasanton is a welcoming and accessible site for fans and that it is an ideal location for Northern California horse racing trainers and owners to work.

The authority also states that jockeys want to compete in Northern California and that having a strong location in the north isn’t just the fiscally right decision, it will also enhance horse racing in Southern California. 

“The first documented horse races in California began in the early days of our state in Northern California,” according to the CARF press release. “Horse racing is an integral part of our agricultural heritage. The media infrastructure in place at Pleasanton will help educate and inspire as we continue a proud sporting tradition poised to become more active in California.”

Even so, according to the California Horse Racing Board press release, several commissioners on the board pointed out that the plans to keep Northern California horse racing in Pleasanton lack several important details.

“Despite the unanimous vote, the board expressed a desire for more specific details leading up to the racing meet application,” according to the California Horse Racing Board release. “Principally, the board asked for more details regarding environmental-related permitting, purse projections, and funding availability and mechanisms.”

While the interest was to move things forward, the commissioners want to see those details be brought when the meet application is considered in August. It also noted that the plans don’t cover all of the issues regarding the future of horse racing.

“The board also recognized that its support for the northern date allocation did not solve underlying purse-generation issues and expressed a desire to work toward solving this larger structural problem,” the horse racing board release stated.