In a continuing effort to consolidate daytime Thoroughbred racing in California to the state’s Southern circuit, a senior executive with the parent company of Santa Anita told the California Horse Racing Board on Thursday that the track is exploring ways to offer racing opportunities for Northern California-based horses in coming months while financially supporting training in that part of the state. Aidan Butler, president of the 1/ST Racing, told the racing board that Santa Anita could offer lower-level races that would suit horses from Northern California-based stables and could offer to pay transportation costs for the 700-mile roundtrip journey from the current training base at the Alameda county fair grounds in Pleasanton. “We have the ability to card races for the Northern horsemen,” Butler said. “Point one is no one wants to relocate. If they don’t want to relocate, we’ll cover transportation.” Butler said a decline in handle in California, and disappointing handle figures in the first month of the Golden State Racing meeting at Pleasanton that began on Oct. 19, has led to a grim outlook for the sport in the nation’s most populous state. Tracks throughout the state have lowered prize money in the last year. “It seems like all of us are in an untenable situation,” Butler told the board. “No one wanted the Northern horsemen and Northern owners to be in distress. “Everyone is failing.” The plan is contingent upon the operation of one daytime Thoroughbred circuit in the South. Under the 1/ST blueprint, Butler said training would continue at Pleasanton, which would allow stables to continue to operate and support the five-stop Northern California fair circuit from mid-June to mid-October. Butler cited an existing stabling and vanning fund that could finance the costs of operating Pleasanton as a training facility, while those stables racing at Santa Anita. “The rest of the ecosystem could pay horses to ship and run for better purses akin to what they’re running for,” he told the racing board. “There is an opportunity to build a plan that works. We can add extra days. We can add lower-priced races. “It will be suicide if we compete.” In a telephone interview after his presentation to the racing board, Butler emphasized that California racing must undergo rapid changes to stem losses in handle in recent years. “The statement remains, this is not working,” he said. “If we can’t get a deal, I’ll do what I can to save Santa Anita. I’d rather do it in a collaborative effort. Let’s see if we can find a way to find races for Northern horsemen. “There are ways to keep the training up there.” Butler said Santa Anita could expand its weekly racing schedule from three days a week to four if the proposal is supported by Northern California stables. 1/ST Racing owned Golden Gate Fields, which was closed permanently in June. When the track’s closure was announced in the summer of 2023, 1/ST Racing proposed that Northern California-based stables move to Southern California, which would have allowed for an expansion of racing dates. Instead, the closure of Golden Gate Fields has led to widespread animosity among Northern California owners and trainers against 1/ST Racing. Those owners and trainers have poured their energy into the launch of the current Golden State Racing meeting, which is scheduled to continue through Dec. 15. At Thursday’s meeting, the board approved licenses for 2024-25 meetings for Santa Anita’s Thoroughbred season, the harness meeting at Sacramento, and the Quarter Horse and lower-level Thoroughbred meeting at Los Alamitos. Golden State Racing officials did not submit a license application for a 2024-25 meeting on Thursday, but are expected to do so in December. Officials have indicated they would like to start a winter-spring meeting there on Dec. 26. Larry Swartzlander, the executive director of the California Authority of Racing Fairs, which is administering the Golden State Racing meeting, told the racing board that his organization is open to discussions with 1/ST Racing. Swartzlander said business at the current Golden State Racing meeting is down from projections. “We’re all losing money,” he said. “Handle is not there. Something has to be done.” Swartzlander said Golden State Racing will seek a license to operate at Pleasanton in 2025 but did not offer specifics about what will be presented to the racing board at its next meeting on Dec. 19. “My door is open with Aidan,” Swartzlander said. Swartzlander reiterated long-standing goals for racing in the state to develop an ancillary source of revenue to finance race meetings and purses, such as Historical Horse Racing slot machines that have been a widespread success in states such as Arkansas and Kentucky. California track executives are working behind the scenes to develop a program to implement HHR machines, but have not made any formal proposals for implementation. If racing is not held in Northern California, simulcast revenue from that part of the state would be redirected to Southern California tracks as part of legislation passed in 2023, which would provide funding for purses. In an interview, Butler said decisions must be made in the near future regarding racing schedules to secure a future for California racing. “If we don’t make a change, this whole thing could fall apart,” he said. “The respectful way to do it is we’ve got to get together quickly and put together a thoughtful way to get the best of a bad situation. “It’s all about keeping the thing going.” The racing board took no action on the 1/ST proposal to consolidate racing at Santa Anita. Some commissioners indicated they wanted to hear more details. “We have a big enough problem with our purse structure,” chairman Greg Ferraro said. “It gives the board another option to pursue.” Ferraro said that if an effort to sustain racing in Northern California fails, “we could take down racing in the state.” Commissioner Dennis Alfieri said the board is “very concerned about the North.” “We have to look at the reality and face the facts,” Alfieri said. “We’re really in trouble and that knock on will affect a lot of other things.” PETA bashes match races At the start of Thursday’s meeting, Hannah Schein, the vice-president of investigations for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, delivered a scathing 20-minute presentation about the involvement of Los Alamitos-based jockeys in illegal match races at venues in California. In particular, Schein cited the involvement of the prominent jockey Jose Nicasio for riding races at venues in Delano, Galt, and Hisperia, presenting video and photographic evidence. Through Thursday, Nicasio ranked fifth in the jockey standings at the current Los Alamitos meeting with 30 wins. Schein said several other riders based at the Southern California track have ridden at match races this year. In October 2023, the racing board passed a rule forbidding licensed riders from participating or attending any “non-recognized race meeting where racing occurred.” Racing board investigators filed a complaint against Nicasio stating that he participated in a match race in Delano in January. In an interview conducted for the complaint, Nicasio said he attended the match races but only galloped a horse and did not participate in a race. Los Alamitos stewards conducted a hearing in the matter but did not sanction the veteran rider. Racing board commissioners expressed outrage that Los Alamitos riders were reportedly involved in match racing and urged regulatory staff to be more vigilant in policing such activity. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.