Northern California Trainers React to Golden Gate Closure, Plot Their Next Moves

Whether someone had the biggest stable in Northern California or a two-horse operation, the news released Sunday that Golden Gate Fields, which opened in 1941, will shut down at the end of the meet in December was a punch to the gut and led to a great deal of uncertainty. Horsemen have just five months to figure out what they will do next. The possibilities are many. They could shift their operations to Santa Anita. They could stay put and hope that the California Authority of Racing Fairs (CARF) circuit expands and offers enough racing opportunities to make it viable to remain in Northern California throughout the year. Or they could simply leave the sport.

The TDN checked in with six Northern California trainers, ones with both big and small stables, and asked how they plan to try to make the best out of a bad situation and whether or not they will relocate to Southern California.

Steve Sherman: I was surprised by the announcement like everyone else. I really didn't have a clue. They had just fixed the roof on my barn, so I really didn't think this sort of announcement would be coming out. I was shocked. You always heard rumors that the place could be gone in two, three years, but I certainly didn't think it would be closing in December. As for a plan, I'll be honest with you, I don't have one. I will see how things shake out. I don't want to make too quick of a decision. Is Santa Anita an option for me as we speak right now? No. I have no plans to go there. Things could change, but as of right now it's not my plan. I was going through my barn and I probably have 10 to 12 horses that could compete down there. It's just a different beast down there compared to the way it is here. The horses are much better and the races are a lot tougher. That's why you see a lot of horses come up north. It's because they can't handle it down there. Out of 1,000 horses here, maybe they'll get 200, 300. That might help short term, but if those horses don't do well there and don't pan out what does the long-term picture look like? And where are the other 600-700 horses going to go? I don't see what Santa Anita is envisioning. Maybe they were expecting to get half the horse population from here or maybe two-thirds of it. If so I could understand what they're trying to do. But when people start going through their barns and trying to figure out what horses can make it down there, there's probably not that many. The numbers don't add up.

Dan Markle: I had a pretty good routine. Raced up at Emerald in the summer and went down to Golden Gate in the winter. That worked out pretty good. But to lose Golden Gate is devastating. With them closing Golden Gate I'm going to have to think of something new. I don't have the caliber of horses that can compete at Santa Anita, so I won't be going there. And the purses at Santa Anita aren't that great either compared to some of the other big tracks. I guess I'm going to have to relocate. Maybe they can get something going with the Fairs. I think that's possible. If that happens it might work out better than what we had before. But I'm not in favor of moving my operation down there at all.

Marcia Stortz: I am hearing that CARF is going to try to work things out so that the meets go for 10 months between Sacramento and Pleasanton. I'd like that because it would be good to get back on the dirt. I have a couple of horses that would fit in Southern California but not really many more than that. It's a different league. We were told in December a year ago that The Stronach Group was going to replace the surface, which was, in my opinion, in dire need of repair. We were told the new surface would be put in by June when we left for the fairs. When it wasn't purchased in the winter, the writing was on the wall in my opinion.

I would never move to Santa Anita. First of all, I don't think I would get the stalls. I suppose I could try to get into Los Alamitos.

Golden Gate | Vassar Photography

Brendan Galvin: It was a bit of a shock. We were kept in the dark, but we do know that the people at CARF are trying to organize something. It's unfortunate that they are closing Golden Gate. That place has been good to me. I've got to go some place or I've got to retire and I don't have the money to retire. I'll either go to Southern California or another state. I've got some nice allowance horses here, but they probably wouldn't be allowance horses down there and that's a problem. I also have some cheap horses who would have no business going down there. It's a real kick in the head. I'm hoping the fair tracks can get something together. If they don't expand I think that will be the end of the fair circuit because nobody is going to ship all the way back up here for a few months of fair racing. There are a lot of horses here who would be running over their heads at Santa Anita. These horses are here for a reason. Everyone wants to win at Santa Anita and Del Mar and if they could they would be there already and not racing in Northern California. These horses are here for a reason.

Tim Bellasis: Nobody knows what to do. We are all hoping that CARF steps up to the plate and it looks like they will and that would allow racing to continue in Northern California. They're saying they could race 10 months out of the year. They've worried for a good five years that Golden Gate was going to close so they have a plan that can be put into action fairly quickly. They'll get some of the better barns from here with the better horses. They may go down there. Out of my 10 horses I've got now, seven of them are Santa Anita rejects. I wouldn't be capable of making any money down there. When Golden Gate decided they weren't going to put down a new surface on the Tapeta track, which was way overdue, you could pretty much tell what was going to come next. Santa Anita will get some of our horses, but it will be a small percentage. I think only 10-20% of the horses we have in Northern California could win a race down there.

Reid France: For me, it wasn't a big surprise. That being said, it's a bummer. It's the track I attended as a kid, I won my first race there and had a lot of success there. It's very disappointing that it's going to be gone. As far as my plans go, nothing is set in stone. We still don't know what kind of dates will come out of this. I will keep my options open and look at places like Florida, Kentucky and New York. Once we know what our options are here and we can sort some things out, we'll try to figure out where we'd go. We'll consider sending some to Santa Anita because we have a lot of Cal-breds. We're not closing that door. But we will look at a lot of places, all the major racing jurisdictions and see where we're at. I probably have a handful that could fit at Santa Anita. I'm sending five to Del Mar and will see what happens with them. This will all work itself out.

The post Northern California Trainers React to Golden Gate Closure, Plot Their Next Moves appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Rain Limits Training at Santa Anita Thursday

Santa Anita's main track was closed Thursday morning and the training track was limited to only joggers following yet another rainstorm that hit the area this week. Track officials said just over an inch of rain fell on Santa Anita during this latest series of storms, which began Tuesday. Wednesday morning, prior to the heaviest of the rainfall, both the main track and training track were open to gallopers and joggers. There have been no timed workouts at Santa Anita since Tuesday.

On Friday, an eight-race card is scheduled for Santa Anita which includes three turf races. Jason Egan, Santa Anita director of racing and racing secretary, said on Thursday he expects the card to be a go.

“The weather is supposed to clear out [Thursday], that's why we kept the main track closed to preserve it for racing on Friday,” Egan said. “I think we're going to be in good shape. We also should at least have gallopers and joggers on the main track tomorrow.”

As for the status of Friday's three turf races, Egan said he is hopeful they will remain on the grass.

“We want to wait to see how the rest of today goes weather-wise and then we'll make a determination,” he added.

Following this latest storm, Santa Anita has received more than 34 inches of rain since the start of the Classic Meet on Dec. 26. It's resulted in eight cards to be canceled, though four of those have already been made up. An additional makeup date is scheduled for Friday, Apr. 21.

The post Rain Limits Training at Santa Anita Thursday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Scarborough Downs, Maine’s Former Thoroughbred Track, to Be Razed

Another link to New England’s horse racing history will go dark this month, soon to be razed for development: Scarborough Downs on the southern Maine seacoast confirmed it will host its final Standardbred program Nov. 28, ending 70 years of horse racing at the venue that first opened as a one-mile Thoroughbred track in 1950.

The Portland Press Herald first reported the news, although the track’s demise had been signaled by a purchase two years ago by developers who have been rebuilding over adjacent property while letting the harness operators lease the track for racing and simulcasting.

The Press Herald reported the 2018 purchase price as $6.7 million. For comparison, the original ownership that founded Scarborough Downs paid $600 for marshland that the town of Scarborough had no other use for back in 1950.

“A scenic background of towering pine, spruce and fir make the track a real beauty spot, and while a few rough edges will have to be polished before it is completed, Scarborough Downs, with its natural beauty, seems destined to become one of New England’s popular tracks,” the Boston Globe reported on the eve of the grand opening.

Scarborough was a pioneer in Thoroughbred night racing in New England right from its first season, trying to capitalize on giving beach tourists something to do after dark on summer evenings.

But the track struggled to attract meaningful handle right from the start, and Maine’s strong Standardbred interests soon took the track to court to try and ban Thoroughbreds from competing under the lights against the evening harness meets (it briefly worked, but the ruling was eventually overturned). The track added Standardbreds in 1969, ran dual breeds at different meets, then ceased Thoroughbred racing on Labor Day, 1972.

The harness oval was downsized from a mile to a half-mile in 1973, although the Thoroughbred track is still visible in outline. Barn fires in 1980 and 1982 killed 14 horses, and the original clubhouse was consumed in a 1983 blaze. The record attendance for the Maine track was on June 29, 1980, when a crowd of 9,133 showed up to get autographs from Lou Ferrigno, the actor who portrayed “The Incredible Hulk.”

The Press Herald reported Thursday that “After Scarborough Downs stopped night racing in 2007 because the light posts had to be removed after the hub rail was removed for safety reasons, the crowds thinned even more. The grandstand fell into disrepair and was eventually closed to fans and the entire facility had a rundown look.”

Although harness racing in Maine is not high profile, it is rich in tradition (a Grand Circuit attraction on “kite” tracks in the early 20th Century) and it is still comprised of nine stops: Bangor Raceway (a racino), plus August-through-October county fair meets at Northern Maine Fair, Topsham, Skowhegan, Union, Windsor, Farmington, Cumberland, and Fryeburg.

The Press Herald reported that “Members of the harness racing community said the closing of Scarborough Downs could lead to a brighter future for the harness racing industry, mentioning that an unspecified group has begun plans to build a harness racing facility elsewhere in southern Maine, an important part of the state for harness racing because of its population base.”

The post Scarborough Downs, Maine’s Former Thoroughbred Track, to Be Razed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Golden Gate to Remain Closed for Live Racing Through November

In following the guidance from local health authorities, Golden Gate Fields has announced the suspension of live racing through November in a continuing effort to ensure the safety and well-being of 1/ST RACING employees and those working on the backstretch and the extended community.

Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Golden Gate Fields has implemented stringent health and safety measures including, strict social distancing, masking policies and regular COVID-19 testing with isolation requirements for any positive cases or identified close contacts.

Last week, Golden Gate Fields announced a one-week temporary closure to address a COVID-19 outbreak. Since then, all track facilities have undergone thorough cleaning and track-wide COVID-19 testing has been administered to all 1/ST RACING employees and to all those who work on the backstretch. All testing data have been shared with the Berkeley Public Health Division (BPHD).

All positive cases are overseen by the BPHD through their case managers. Positive cases are required to isolate as per BPHD protocols and are not able to return to Golden Gate Fields until health clearance has been provided by the BPHD.

The 1,300 horses stabled onsite will continue to receive the daily care and exercise they require.

Golden Gate Fields will continue to monitor the situation in collaboration with the BPHD and will aim to resume live racing with the announcement of a reopening date as soon as possible.

For more information please visit www.goldengatefields.com.

 

The post Golden Gate to Remain Closed for Live Racing Through November appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights