The California Authority of Racing Fairs (CARF) voted unanimously this week not to apply for 2025 racing dates. Coupled with the recent announcements that “Golden State Racing” (GSR) is folding after just one season and that Pleasanton will end its…
Yesterday, the California Authority of Racing Fairs voted unanimously to withdraw its application for a Dec-Jun meet at Pleasanton. This effectively means that the efforts to save Northern California racing after Golden Gate Fields was shuttered in June will come…
Freehold Raceway, the oldest racetrack in the nation (1830s), is shutting its doors for good come December. In a statement, Howard Bruno, the track’s GM, said: “Unfortunately, the operations of the racetrack cannot continue under existing conditions, and we do…
As most of you know, the NorCal horsemen are not giving up after losing (for good) their flagship track, Golden Gate Fields, last month. The plan, for this year at least, is to extend the “fair season” into December with…
After 83 years of abusing and killing horses, Golden Gate Fields is officially no more. Yesterday, as the last races ever were being recorded, this from the chartwriter on the 8th (and final): “Sareeha…was not persevered with late when hopelessly…
Golden Gate Fields will run its final race Sunday – not just final for the meet, final forever. While this is a victory for us activists, coming as it does in a state that often serves as a bellwether on…
“Sparse crowds as the Preakness races toward an uncertain future.” So rang a headline in the Baltimore Brew Monday. The whole article, which includes details on the state’s massive bailout of the racing industry, is worthy of your time, but…
In the latest sign that Arizona horseracing stands on the precipice, the Santa Cruz County Fair and Rodeo Association has voted to cancel the 2024 Sonoita Races, leaving the state without a single county-fair meet this year (last year there…
Sun Downs, Washington’s only other (Emerald) commercial track, is officially dead. Although the last year this track ran was 2019, I held off calling it because the meets of ’20 and ’21 were covid casualties, and then in ’22 it…
Northville Downs in Michigan ran its final ever race Saturday night, an event that had been coming since 2018, when the property was sold to a housing developer. The industry, however, was banking on a move to Plymouth Township, but…
Word out of Arizona yesterday is that a second deal to sell Turf Paradise is dead (first one here), leaving the very real possibility that the upcoming meet (Jan 29-May 4), which was already truncated, will be that track’s last.…
Santa Anita opened its winter/spring meet yesterday and, good news, the total handle (amount wagered) was down some 30% from last year. But fret not, says the track, they have a ready explanation: it was a Tuesday. Yes, seriously. Never…
