The California Authority of Racing Fairs presented a broad outline to the California Horse Racing Board on Thursday to relocate year-round racing in Northern California to Sacramento or Pleasanton as early as September following the planned closure of Golden Gate Fields in the Bay Area in June. The plan, which CARF present Larry Swartzlander described as “conceptual,” would expand racing at Sacramento to allow for the continuation of harness racing meetings on a yet-to-be-constructed track on the infield of the property, while allowing Thoroughbred racing to be conducted on the existing one-mile track. Swartlander said Pleasanton is a back-up venue if Sacramento can’t be utilized. “We have work to do,” Swartzlander said during a presentation to the board. “We have negotiations moving forward. We have the opportunity [at Sacramento] and a chance to allow Northern California to reignite a fan base. “There have been no signed agreements. There are verbal agreements.” The racing board, which met on Thursday in Sacramento, did not take any formal action on the CARF proposal. The board is expected to revisit the issue at its next scheduled meeting in Sacramento in March. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Racing board officials, notably executive director Scott Chaney and commissioner Wendy Mitchell, expressed skepticism that the Sacramento property could be remodeled by September, specifically mentioning issues related to financing, expansive environmental regulations, and a tight construction timeline as some of the issues facing the proposal. “I don’t see how this lines up,” Mitchell said. “There are so many variables, permits and construction. I’m very concerned, without some outside dynamic shifting, that there is a creation of unrealistic expectations that will make everyone happy. “I don’t mean to be a downer, but I want to be realistic and pragmatic about what the industry is facing.” Swartzlander countered that racing could be shifted to Pleasanton if the Sacramento project is unattainable. He said that the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa “does not meet the criteria for an optimum site.” Swartzlander said a decision on a location will be made by March. “If I don’t have a 99 percent commitment from Sacramento, we’ll have to shift gears and go to Pleasanton,” he said. Chaney said an eight-month window to redevelop Sacramento “is unrealistic.” “One thing that concerns all of us is uncertainty,” he said. “I work in state government. I’m concerned about timeline and costs.” Racing is currently being conducted at Golden Gate Fields through June 9 when the track will close permanently. The Northern California county fair circuit is scheduled to conduct its annual summertime meetings at Pleasanton, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and Ferndale from mid-June to mid-September. Another fair meeting is scheduled for Fresno in October. No other racing dates for the Northern California circuit have been assigned by the racing board for late September and a period from mid-October to the end of the year. The discussion on racing dates in Northern California lasted more than 2 1/2 hours and included testimony from racing and track officials from throughout the state as well as 26 public speakers from various aspects of the sport who urged the racing board to protect the future of the sport in that part of the state. Southern California track officials and executives with the Thoroughbred Owners of California spoke for 40 minutes on a plan to reorganize racing on the southern circuit and leave Northern California with only the fair circuit in the summer and fall. Under that plan, revenue generated from simulcasting sources in Northern California, when racing is not being held in that part of the state, would be redirected to Southern California tracks through legislation passed last year. The funds would initially be devoted to offset regulatory costs paid by the tracks and horse owners, through the purse fund, for the budgets of the racing board and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. Without that funding, track officials told the racing board on Thursday that Southern California tracks will reduce purses as early as this spring to offset current overpayments in purse accounts. Bill Nader, president and chief executive of the TOC, said Santa Anita began its current winter-spring meeting with an overpayment of $4 million, which is likely to rise in coming months. Del Mar has a purse overpayment of approximately $2.1 million from its 2023 meetings. “The overall health of California racing is not good,” Nader said. “We need to do our part to provide information to the racing board. “The stakes have never been higher than they are now.” Both Del Mar and Santa Anita raised purses to some extent as recently as the start of 2023, only for Santa Anita to reduce purses for its spring meeting from last April to June. Del Mar increased purses for stakes, overnight races, and a bonus program designed to lure runners from out of state for its 2022 summer meeting. Last year, Del Mar raised some purses for allowance races at the summer meeting. Handle figures at both venues failed to keep pace with previous seasons to finance those increases. Nader said declines in foal crops in the state, number of runners, and average field sizes has shrunk to the extent that the state should operate one year-round circuit. Regarding the proposed move to Sacramento or Pleasanton, Nader said the concept requires additional study. “We need time to digest and ask the relevant questions, if it is viable and feasible,” he said. :: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures During a 55-minute public comment portion of the discussion on Northern California racing, a variety of speakers, including owners, breeders, trainers, and other participants, urged the racing board to take the necessary measures to ensure the continuity of racing in Northern California. A delay, according to several people who spoke, could lead people to send horses to other circuits, or leave the sport entirely. The absence of a long-term plan would have a detrimental effect on the summertime fair meetings, some of the speakers said. Several stated that they have no desire to relocate to Southern California, and that the loss of year-round racing would have a devastating effect on breeding throughout the state. Harness racing officials said they became aware in December of plans to conduct extensive Thoroughbred racing at Sacramento, but expressed concern whether an infield racing circuit for the breed would be a viable alternative. They also questioned the logistics of whether the two breeds could coexist during training hours. Harness racing has a contract to operate race meetings twice a year in Sacramento until 2030. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.