Future of horse racing in Northern California is dealt a blow after group withdraws meet application

By The Associated Press The Associated Press

The future of horse racing in Northern California has been dealt a blow. That’s because the California Authority of Racing Fairs has voted unanimously to withdraw its application for a racing meeting starting later this month at Pleasanton Fairgrounds. The California Horse Racing Board had been set to discuss racing at Pleasanton at its meeting on Thursday. Business at Pleasanton has been down considerably compared to the Golden Gate Fields fall meeting in 2023. Golden Gate was permanently closed in June, leading to the creation of the Golden State Racing meeting. California is struggling to remain competitive with the rest of the country as the result of lower purses and fewer horses.