Racing at California fairs, long supported as one of the best ways to attract new fans for the sport, is losing out to economic considerations while industry representatives fight to remain viable in the northern half of the state.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Race dates for 2010 were approved for California by the state's horse racing board at its meeting Oct. 15, although the panel opted to wait until next month before giving authorization to the Northern California fair circuit, which requested more time to sort out details.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Industry stakeholders received a tongue-lashing from Richard Shapiro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, as the agency took its first swipe at a race dates calendar for 2009.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
For the first time in four years, the Thoroughbreds are coming back to Cal Expo.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Kirk Breed, a horse racing lobbyist in Sacramento for the past 18 years, has been named executive director of the California Horse Racing Board, it was announced Feb. 25.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Live racing at Bay Meadows Race Course would end with the conclusion of the San Mateo County Fair race meet Aug. 18, 2008, under a dates plan given preliminary approval by the California Horse Racing Board's strategic planning committee Sept. 20.
Friday, September 21, 2007
California fairs offer a realistic option for horse racing's future at a time when two major racetracks in the state are facing redevelopment and other privately held venues are pressured by stockholders for greater revenue returns amid escalating property values.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Capitol Racing at Les Bois Park wrapped up its 46-day live racing season Aug. 11 with double-digit increases in on-track attendance and handle.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Trying to cure a scheduling headache, the California Horse Racing Board has started planning for the future -- with or without Bay Meadows and Hollywood Park. At an Aug. 10 meeting at Del Mar, the CHRB's dates committee took the first step in piecing together a cohesive three-year calendar.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Reducing the dates calendar while increasing the overall quality of racing and the possible closure of two major racing facilities remained the focus of the California Horse Racing Board's "Strategic Alliance Planning Committee," which met for the second time at Del Mar on Aug. 28.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Hollywood Park, in an agreement hammered out with horse owners, will restructure its overnight purses for the upcoming Autumn meeting and will also cut back the total number of racing days after losing its turf course, the California Horse Racing Board was told Nov. 3. The track has cut 11 stakes races worth $2.3 million as a result of the turf problem.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Bay Meadows and Golden Gate Fields agreed to swap their dates in 2006 under a plan approved Sept. 22 by the California Horse Racing Board.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
The California Horse Racing Board plans to eliminate 12 Thoroughbred racing dates this summer that belonged to the state fair and reduce the number of competing Northern California dates by four days.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Thoroughbred owners and trainers are willing to forgo racing dates at the State Fair in Sacramento this summer to allow for harness racing, but moving out of Fairplex Park for a new harness meet in Southern California is another matter.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Track operator Capitol Racing, which decided to walk away from its harness meet in Sacramento, is moving on – to Idaho and other breeds.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
A report to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the state should consider a reorganization of district agricultural associations and the state fair, as well as the sale of the Del Mar Fairgounds to private interests.
Friday, November 12, 2004
Magna Entertainment Corp. has expressed it intentions to bid on the lease of Cal Expo in Sacramento, Calif., and take over the 10-month-long Standardbred meet.
Friday, September 24, 2004
The California State Fair in Sacramento kicks off its live Thoroughbred meet Aug. 25, and this year will feature a special Aug. 27 doubleheader with programs in the afternoon and evening.
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Meadowlands in New Jersey will team with Capitol Racing in California on a new Wednesday pick six designed to tie into all wagering outlets in the Golden State, where the bet traditionally has generated the most action.
Thursday, March 11, 2004
The California Horse Racing Board tabled Capitol Racing's harness meet application to conduct its upcoming Sacramento meet Thursday because the association has not paid "impact fees" to compensate Los Alamitos Race Course for overlapping dates when Capitol extended its meeting several years ago.
Thursday, January 22, 2004
The 11-race program at Cal Expo was canceled on Friday after jockeys decided the course was unsafe due to overnight and morning rain.
Friday, August 22, 2003
Thanks to an influx of approximately $9.3 million in account deposit wagering and some
Seabiscuit magic, the California summer fair circuit has enjoyed a solid season thus far.
Sunday, August 17, 2003
Capitol Racing and the California Exposition and State Fair reached a two-year agreement July 28, but it's possible the contract for the Standardbred meet at Cal Expo will be put out for bid in the future.
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
The California Horse Racing Board granted a conditional license to Capitol Racing Association on July 24 to continue to operate a harness meeting at Cal Expo in Sacramento, contingent on it settling a lawsuit with the fair over its lease arrangement.
Friday, July 25, 2003
Cal Expo will provide a portion of its harness racing handle to support a Sacramento, Calif., homeless shelter facing possible closure under an agreement announced June 6 by a California state assemblyman and exposition officials.
Sunday, June 08, 2003
In an effort to fund a winter homeless shelter at Cal Expo in Sacramento, a California lawmaker has proposed a bill that would reopen the bidding on the facility's Standardbred license.
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
The California Horse Racing Board approved a 2003 racing calendar Thursday that is largely unchanged from 2002, including a 17-day fair meet at Fairplex Park in Pomona.
Thursday, October 17, 2002
Purses will go up in Nothern California beginning with the California State Fair meet Aug. 21, and the Bay Meadows meet Aug. 30.
Thursday, August 15, 2002
The general manager of California's only Standardbred racing association said it's unfair for harness horsemen to be lumped into the same workers' compensation insurance category as those who race Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses. He called the premiums "outrageous" and said the state needs to take action.
Friday, March 01, 2002
