Rancho San Miguel, one of the West Coast’s leading breeding farms, is for sale, owner Tom Clark said on Tuesday.  Clark said the central California property is being offered for $13.5 million. In an interview, Clark stressed that he hoped a potential buyer would retain the 210-acre parcel for horses. Clark did not dismiss a partial sale.  The 70-year-old Clark cited his age and widespread issues plaguing California racing as two of the reasons the farm is available.  “I’ve had the place for 25 years and I’m getting a little older,” he said. “I’m very concerned about the future of the Thoroughbred industry here in California. I don’t want to be in a position that I can’t pay my bills.  “We’re going to stay here for a smooth transition, one that raises and supports the horse industry.” :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Clark said he has not set a deadline for a potential sale.  “I’m not selling out to leave at the end of December and telling clients to leave,” he said. “I need support and help to keep it going, whether it’s a deep-pocketed partner or someone with a strategic vision who can keep things as they are or make it better. That’s what I’m looking for.”  California racing is in a state of contraction. Last June, Golden Gate Fields in Albany, near Oakland, closed permanently. The Northern California fair circuit raced at five venues in recent years, but this year only the tiny Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale in the far north of the state has expressed an interest in racing. Humboldt officials are expected to approach the California Horse Racing Board on April 17 seeking racing dates for a brief meeting in late August and early September.  Last fall, an autumn meeting was held in Pleasanton on the Alameda County Fairgrounds at a time when racing was previously held at Golden Gate Fields, but it failed to meet business expectations and a winter-spring meeting was abandoned. Instead, Santa Anita in Southern California began offering a small number of races restricted to Northern California-based stables.  Pleasanton is closing as an auxiliary training facility this week, forcing stables based there to relocate to other venues, notably Emerald Downs in Washington state or to Southern California. No fair meetings are expected to be held this year at Fresno, Pleasanton, Sacramento, or Santa Rosa.  Those developments have left Clark concerned about the long-term prospects for racing in California.  “It’s the nature of the beast with the industry,” Clark said. “I see no light at the end of the tunnel.”  Clark said a potential sale of Rancho San Miguel could lead to changes such as housing horses undergoing rests from the racetrack or retired runners.  “Eventually, a farm like ours needs to diversify away from the Thoroughbred breed or provide other types of services,” he said. “We’re very focused on breeding and raising a good baby and prepping horses for sales and getting them ready to race. That’s what we know very well.  “We need capital to diversify. It could be rehabbing horses and retirees. I want it to stay a horse business. A lot of employees have been here and have worked for us for 10 or 15 years. That’s my first goal.”  Clark said he has not received any specific offers since the farm recently went on the market.  “No clients are panicking or leaving,” he said. “I think most people understand our position. We’ve built a lot of long-term relationships.”  Rancho San Miguel is located in San Miguel, Calif., which Clark is quick to mention is 200 miles from both Los Angeles and the Bay Area.  The farm has nine stallions on its 2025 roster, including Sir Prancealot, who ranked sixth among the state’s stallions in progeny earnings in 2024 and is currently third on the 2025 list through Tuesday.  Clark, a former investment banker in New York, is general manager of the farm. He expressed concern that, with the immediate decline in racing opportunities in Northern California, Rancho San Miguel will breed 25 percent fewer mares this year than last year.  “That’s with Sir Prancealot, who is doing very well,” he said. “Last year, one of every five mares [in California] was bred here at San Miguel. That’s a strong statement. It’s bittersweet. We’ve put in a lot of time to grow it and keep it going.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.