In a major development aimed at consolidating, invigorating and innovating racing throughout Southern California, The Stronach Group today announced it will double down on its prestigious racing and training venues at Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs by closing Golden Gate Fields in the Bay Area at the end of the 2023 racing meet.
At the conclusion of the Golden Gate Fields meet, the company will focus on seamlessly transitioning horses from Northern California to Southern California with the goal of increasing field sizes and adding another day of racing to the weekly racing calendar at Santa Anita Park, come January 2024. This consolidation will provide expanded content opportunities, wagering prospects and will serve to further elevate the overall customer experience at Santa Anita Park.
“The Stronach Group remains steadfastly committed to racing in California,” said Belinda Stronach, chairwoman, chief executive officer and president, The Stronach Group. “We believe that the future success of racing depends on a business model that encourages investment in Southern California, one of North America's premier racing circuits. Focusing on Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs as state-of-the-art racing and training facilities that offer enhanced program quality, increased race days, expanded wagering opportunities, and premier hospitality and entertainment experiences is vital to ensuring that California racing can continue to compete and thrive on a national level.”
Stronach added “We recognize that the decision will have profound effects on our valued employees as well as the owners, trainers, jockeys and stable personnel at Golden Gate Fields. The Stronach Group is committed to honoring labor obligations and developing a meaningful transition plan.”
Moving forward, the company will work in cooperation with industry participants including the California Horse Racing Board, Thoroughbred Owners of California, California Thoroughbred Trainers, and Del Mar and Los Alamitos racetracks, to develop a plan to relocate horses and employees to Southern California while supporting all affected by this closure.
The inaugural meet at Golden Gate Fields was held in 1941. One of the track's most famous races came in 1950 when Noor and Citation met in the Golden Gate Handicap, with Noor getting the best of Citation while setting a world record of 1:58 1/5 for 1 1/4 miles.
Statement of California Thoroughbred Trainers executive director Alan F. Balch:
Today, we learned with great dismay, fear, and anxiety, on behalf of all California trainers and their thousands of employees, of the Stronach racing company's decision to discontinue racing at Golden Gate Fields later this year.
Were it not for our contractual obligations with Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita management (reproduced below), we would publicly disclose the reasons for our serious trepidation — all of which our CTT leadership has taken the initiative to discuss privately with Stronach management on several occasions, during last year and earlier this year. We can only say that we would have hoped those responsible for such a decision had taken their own contractual obligation for fairness, inclusion, communication, and honesty, as seriously as we have.
The ramifications of this Stronach decision will be far-reaching and long-lasting. They will include, we believe, a great many unintended and mainly detrimental consequences for all of racing and Thoroughbred breeding throughout California and the West, including in Southern California. We can only hope that we are entirely wrong.
Mutuality.
a. Track and CTT represent to each other that they are mutually interested in the continuance, maintenance, and improvement of thoroughbred racing in the State of California and, to that end, believe it most advisable and to their mutual best interests that any future differences of opinion between them with respect to the provisions hereof, the matters covered hereby, or any other matter or thing pertaining to thoroughbred racing wherein both Parties are interested, should be settled by them, without undue publicity, by negotiation and consultation.
Each Party will cooperate with the other to promote, foster, and retain public good will toward thoroughbred racing by conducting racing on the highest possible plane through maintenance of the high standards of fairness, inclusion, communication, and honesty.
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