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CHRB Sets ’24 NorCal Schedule, but GGF’s Closure Remains ‘Elephant in the Room’

The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) on Thursday approved a calendar that fleshed out the Northern California racing schedule through mid-September 2024. But the initiative still left race-date gaps late in the year that must be addressed both for next season and the future as stakeholders and regulators attempt to realign the circuit in the wake of news that Golden Gate Fields will not be part of the racing landscape beyond next June.

Back on July 16, 1/ST Racing, which owns both Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields, announced that Golden Gate would cease racing at the end of 2023. That timetable was later revamped by 1/ST Racing, which earlier this month announced that it would keep NorCal's last remaining commercial track open through mid-June of 2024 in an effort to provide stability for a circuit that will soon have to rely on extended fairs racing to remain viable.

Prior to the CHRB's 7-0 vote on Sept. 21 to approve 2024 dates for the work-in-progress circuit, Scott Chaney, the board's executive director, explained that even though a measure of short-term certainty would be achieved, at some near-future point everyone involved in the process would have to deal with the “elephant in the room” that will arrive in the form of Golden Gate not opening on Sept. 11, 2024, for its traditional autumn meet.

Chaney outlined two likely post-Golden Gate scenarios: That entities wanting to conduct new race meets will “find a home for dates and make more of a year-round racing calendar,” or the NorCal circuit will morph into “a really great fair season each summer, and [then try] to take care of those horses that might not have a place to run in Southern California” while NorCal racing goes dark, perhaps for months at a time.

“So I think that's what's facing the industry going forward,” Chaney said. “We've kind of kicked the can down the road a little bit, and I really appreciate [the six-month Golden Gate extension]. But the hard decisions, we've really just forestalled them for a few more months.”

Chaney also underscored that any entity wishing to fill the NorCal dates void would be advised to get its act together sooner rather than later, “because we have humans and horses that we have to think about come the end of fair racing next year.”

Chaney read into the record the schedule the commissioners approved. At least for right now, it will look like this for 2023-24:

“Golden Gate Fields from late December through June; followed by the normal four weeks of Alameda County Fair; followed by the normal three weeks at Cal Expo; followed by Santa Rosa, who is requesting and is interested in an additional third week, and then followed by Ferndale, who also is interested in a third week,” Chaney said.

“So that takes us through Sept. 10,” Chaney said. “The one remaining fair would be Fresno, and they are requesting the first two weeks of October. So that leaves the last few weeks of September, and then mid-October through December, unallocated.”

Larry Swartzlander, the executive director of California Authority of Racing Fairs, told the board prior to the vote that, “We would like to see the dates awarded for the fall period, but at this point we don't have a definite location.”

CHRB vice chair Oscar Gonzales tried to strike a positive tone by pointing out that while not perfect, the NorCal situation is not as bleak as it looked two months ago when the bombshell Golden Gate news first dropped.

“We definitely want to reassure Northern California horsemen, breeders and owners in particular, that racing will continue; that this board is going to do everything that we can,” Gonzales said, alluding to the work that still needs to be done.

Bill Nader, the president and chief executive officer of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), pledged his organization's support for NorCal, and he said the TOC recognized the important role the circuit plays in the state's overall racing.

But Nader did express concern about a third week of racing at Ferndale, which he said averaged only 5.12 starters per race over two weeks this summer.

“So to stretch it to three weeks, from the TOC point of view…I just think it might be one step too far,” Nader said, adding that keeping the Ferndale meet at two weeks, at least for now, “would make better sense.”

Swartzlander defended Ferndale based on its small-track aesthetics trumping the low number of starters.

“When you talk about the number of horses, last year we had 5.02, which was less than we had this year,” Swartzlander said. “Every year Ferndale is basically in that category. You know, I can't applaud it or say negatively against it. It is what it is. And if you've been up there–great fans; have a good time–it's just a good atmosphere. And I believe with the third week, and also you change the playing field in Northern California, [we] expect to have better support.”

Gonzales pointed out that by allocating dates on Thursday, the CHRB wasn't outright approving a three-week license for Ferndale. That decision to grant actual licensure will happen closer to the race meet's start, which is standard procedure for the CHRB. Gonzales said if veterinarians and other CHRB staffers at that time present evidence that three weeks at Ferndale would be too much of a strain or a stress on horses, the board will address the issue.

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Ferndale Grandstand Deemed Unsafe For August Meet

The operators of the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale, California, are scrambling for a solution after just finding out this week that an earthquake from six months ago so badly damaged the grandstand at the half-mile racetrack that county officials now won't permit the structure to be occupied for the six-day race meet Aug. 18-20 and 25-27.

Larry Swartzlander, who serves as both the executive director California Authority of Racing Fairs (CARF) and the director of racing for Ferndale, told the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) during Thursday's meeting that plans are already underway to bring the grandstand up to code while also securing the use of tents as a backup so the races won't have to be scrapped.

“The county has said that the grandstand was not safe to conduct racing at the August meet,” Swartzlander said. “What has occurred since then? You know, the position of Humboldt and CARF is very clear: We will race.

“The [fair's] board, I've talked to the president and the vice-chair [Thursday] morning,” Swartzlander said. “We've already identified a contractor that will do the work, and they're having a meeting later [Thursday] with the county to put the details together. And it will be completed by Aug. 1.

“I've already got my staff working on a contingency if it would happen that we couldn't use the grandstand, [and] everything could be moved to another location [on the property], so I don't see that as a concern.”

Swartzlander did not go into greater detail about the damage and the costs to repair it, and the CHRB did not press him on those issues prior to moving ahead and unanimously approving the track's license to conduct the meet. The board did, however, instruct Swartzlander to keep the CHRB informed on the status of the repair work.

Published reports this week in two publications that cover Humboldt County filled in some of the blanks that didn't get addressed at the June 29 CHRB meeting.

The Lost Coast Outpost reported June 28 that “an engineering firm surveyed the damage at the fairgrounds following the Dec. 20 earthquake, and found that though the stands can hold the weight of the people expected to sit upon it, it would likely crumble in the event of an earthquake.”

Quoting from a recently released county report on the damage, the Lost Coast Outpost stated, “the structural engineering inspection determined that the building currently appears adequate to support vertical loads, but not lateral (seismic) loads of the type that need to be taken into account for occupant safety. Even though there is a limited window of time where the structure might be occupied, the risk of doing nothing and allowing occupation is not acceptable.”

That story further estimated a $1-million cost for a short-term fix just to enable the fair to conduct its races with people in stands shored up by bracing, while a more permanent repair would take longer to complete and would cost in the neighborhood of $2.3 million.

The North Coast Journal reported June 27 that, “The announcement of the price tag was met with palpable dismay by the board. The association currently has $628,317 in its accounts [and that the] state Office of Emergency Services would only reimburse for either the temporary fix or the permanent one, but not for both.”

It's also an open question right now as to whether the association (which runs the fair) or the county (which owns the property) is responsible for making the call on the extent of the repairs and initially paying for them before applying for whatever emergency reimbursements might be available.

The county fair itself would be allowed to operate without fixing the stands, so long as they were cordoned off. But without the revenue from racing, the fair association is facing a losing financial proposition.

“Our structural engineer says that the risk of an earthquake during that period of time is very low, but if there were to be one during the fair, it would be catastrophic,” Tom Mattson, the Humboldt County director of public works, was quoted in the North Coast Journal as saying at a public meeting.

When asked at that meeting which entity would make the call on the extent of the repair work, Mattson said, “That's a political decision, not my decision.”

Asked to provide his recommendation, Mattson said, “My recommendation would be to do the long-term fix.”

Ferndale's survival as California's northernmost county fair racing outpost has faced multiple stressors over the past year.

Back on Nov. 15, 2022, police arrested the fair association's bookkeeper on charges of embezzlement, and the fair association's general manager and three long-time directors also stepped down around the same time. The North Coast Journal reported in this week's story that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is now handling the case.

In March, the CHRB ruled that the 2023 Ferndale meet would once again have to run its second of two weeks of racing against overlapping competition from the commercial licensee Golden Gate Fields. Ferndale representatives have repeatedly told the CHRB in recent years that a second week of un-overlapped racing is required for any racing there to be viable. They have also noted that the fair plays an important role in supporting lower-level racing in the state, and have pointed out that Ferndale routinely outdraws Golden Gate in attendance.

Beyond this week's unexpected news about the grandstand being declared unfit for occupancy, the North Coast Journal additionally reported that the stands “have also been vandalized recently, with people breaking monitors and leaving broken glass behind.”

Just prior to the CHRB vote to green-light the August meet, CHRB vice chair Oscar Gonzales told Swartzlander, “I do know you guys can improvise so that if the grandstands are not able to be used, [there are] other areas of the premises [where] patrons can be at in a safe manner. But we have to really rely on the county's expertise, and we always put safety first…

“I remain a supporter of Humboldt racing, so we'll be looking forward to getting the 'all clear' sign if that's the case. And if not, the plans that will be made to ensure that people are safe,” Gonzales said.

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‘Ill Advised And Slanderous’: CHRB Chairman Unloads On Vet Board Over Blea Investigation

Dr. Gregory Ferraro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, called the recent investigation and action by the California Veterinary Medical Board to temporarily suspend the license of the CHRB's equine medical director, Dr. Jeff Blea, an “unwarranted and unfair vendetta” that is “ill advised and slanderous.” Ferraro said Blea has become a “pawn in a politically driven effort” to hurt horse racing in California. As a result of Blea having to be put on administrative leave from his post with the CHRB, Ferraro added, “the health and safety of racehorses are being compromised.”

Ferraro, formerly a racetrack practitioner and director of the University of California-Davis Center for Equine Health, made the remarks during Thursday's regularly scheduled meeting of the CHRB following a report by the regulatory agency's executive director, Scott Chaney. Chaney, a one-time assistant trainer at Southern California racetracks, also defended Blea's integrity and professionalism, as did CHRB vice chairman Oscar Gonzalez and commissioner Alex Solis, a retired jockey.

Chaney's comments to the board follow:

“As you know, the California Veterinary Medical Board has filed accusations against our Equine Medical Director, Dr. Jeff Blea last month alleging violations from his previous employment as an attending veterinarian. Although I question the veracity of those allegations, what is particularly disturbing is the desire to suspend his veterinary license in advance of his hearing and more to the point, prevent him from working in his role as Equine Medical Director.

“The CHRB has hired outside counsel to represent our interests and in the interim, UC Davis, for which Dr. Blea works, has appointed acting EMDs to fulfill the statutory and regulatory roles. On a personal note, I would like to say that I have known and worked with Dr. Blea for more than 20 years. He is the one of the finest and most ethical veterinarians I have met and more importantly, one of the finest humans with whom I have interacted. I am sorry for Dr. Blea and his family, and although he has been professional and hopeful throughout this ordeal, it is not right that his excellent reputation be besmirched in this way.

“The CHRB is doing everything in its legal power to right this wrong. And while we are making do for the time being, in a very real way, the CHRB is less effective at protecting animal welfare without him.“

Chaney gave a promising report on the decline in California horse racing fatalities in recent years, particularly in 2021. The 0.63 deaths per thousand starts for California racing in 2021 may be the lowest in the country, Chaney said, adding that it is difficult to compare data to other states that are far less transparent than California.

“Our reform efforts are working,” said Gonzalez, suggesting the CHRB will push to have Blea reinstated. “We need Dr. Blea as equine medical director.”

“I know how much he cares about horses,” said Solis.

Blea is among several racetrack veterinarians being investigated following anonymous complaints to the Veterinary Medical Board that certain regulations were not being followed. Other racetrack practitioners have called those regulations outdated and ill-suited to equine practice. Dr. Rick Arthur, the CHRB's former equine medical director, said his experiences with the Veterinary Medical Board have led him to believe some board members are anti-horse racing.

Blea is the only veterinarian being investigated whose license was temporarily suspended.

The post ‘Ill Advised And Slanderous’: CHRB Chairman Unloads On Vet Board Over Blea Investigation appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘Can’t Ignore These Injury Rates’: CHRB Grants Golden Gate Six-Month License With Increased Monitoring

At Wednesday's meeting of the California Horse Racing Board, the Daily Racing Form reports that discussion centered around the equine fatality rate at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, Calif. Seventeen racehorses have died in racing (four) or training (13) at Golden Gate this year, with four fatalities coming during an eight-day span in November.

In March of 2021, Golden Gate was the site of an on-track protest against horse racing organized by Direct Action Everywhere (DXE), whose spokesperson Cassie King, said DXE was spurred to action by the deaths of three horses during a recent four-week period.

CHRB vice chairman Oscar Gonzales introduced a motion to grant Golden Gate a three-month license in order to review its safety policies, but that measure failed on a vote of 3-4. Instead, commissioner Dennis Alfieri suggested monitoring the track's safety record every 30 days, and a six-month license was approved on a vote of 4-3 (racing from Dec. 26 to June 14, 2022).

Gonzales, Wendy Mitchell, and Brenda Washington-Davis voted against the six-month license. Alfieri, Damascus Castellanos, Alex Solis, and chairman Dr. Greg Ferraro voted for it.

Ferraro said he had traveled to Golden Gate with executive director Scott Chaney and equine medical director Jeff Blea to talk about the injuries.

“We can't ignore these injury rates,” Ferraro said. “We're willing to work with them and try to improve the situation.”

At last December's meeting of the CHRB, the fatality rate at Los Alamitos (29 in a one-year period) came under scrutiny when preparing to grant that track's race dates for the year. Board members voted to grant the track a six-month license, instead of one year. In January 2021, after Los Al enacted a series of protocols to improve safety, the CHRB voted to restore a full-year license with enhanced scrutiny.