Yesterday, the California Authority of Racing Fairs voted unanimously to withdraw its application for a Dec-Jun meet at Pleasanton. This effectively means that the efforts to save Northern California racing after Golden Gate Fields was shuttered in June will come to an abrupt end with Pleasanton’s (“Golden State Racing”) final raceday tomorrow.
None of this, of course, is a surprise as the venture reeked of desperation from the word go, and paltry betting numbers – Pleasanton’s handle was 62% less than what the anemic Golden Gate Fields was generating – and slashed purses sealed its fate. As an added bonus, with no home base, the future of the North’s fair circuit is very much in jeopardy. Now we focus on the South – Santa Anita, Del Mar, Los Alamitos – and the inevitable campaign to implement corporate welfare there in the form of slot machines. For today, though, we savor this latest bit – actually quite more than a bit – of progress.
