The California Authority of Racing Fairs has had a plan for five years for a 10-month Northern California racing circuit, with the home base being in Sacramento at Cal Expo. The big fight is over who gets the Northern California money.” “They might say that they want the Northern California money, but that’s not going to fly with the Northern California people. “I’m sure Stronach wants the money to compensate them for any capital investment they make at Santa Anita,” Ferraro said. But when there is no Golden Gate Fields, who gets the money? Currently, Golden Gate Fields, or the Stronach Group, controls it. He is also anticipating the biggest issue that the California Horse Racing Board will have to deal with is who controls the simulcast signal in Northern California. It was only after the Stronach Group learned that The Times planned to publish a story Sunday afternoon that representatives of the two groups were told about the sale.įerraro said he was “absolutely, completely surprised” by the news. The move was supposed to be announced Monday afternoon with the chief executives of the California Thoroughbred Trainers and Thoroughbred Owners of California being told Monday morning. According to Greg Ferraro, chairman of the racing board, Scott Chaney, executive director, had to call Stronach Group executive Craig Fravel, who only then let the board in on the secret. The California Horse Racing Board found out about it by accident Friday only after another state agency asked a question about the sale of Golden Gate Fields. What infuriated the industry, however, is the secrecy with which the move was made. The Stronach Group has decided to permanently close down Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley after its final meet ends in December, boosting Santa Anita.Īccording to the Sunday news release, the closure was being made to help boost racing at Santa Anita with the hopes of an increased horse population and a return to four days-a-week racing. Sports Stronach Group to shut down Golden Gate Fields to help prop up Santa Anita racing “Will you help the employees of Golden Gate Fields find other work in the horseracing industry or elsewhere? If so, which employees and how? Will you offer them positions at the other racetracks you operate?”.“What is your rationale for closing Golden Gate Fields and why did you choose December 2023 as the closure date?”.In the Wednesday letter, obtained by The Times, the senator asked: Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) sent Belinda Stronach, chairman and president of the track owner, a letter seeking answers. Now, the quest for answers has been greatly elevated as U.S. The Stronach Group issued a boiler-plate answer from an outside media consultant that they would have answers soon. The Thoroughbred Daily News even published the questions they have been asking the owner of Santa Anita and other tracks on a daily basis. Since then, there have been only questions and no answers as the Stronach Group has made no public statement about the land that Golden Gate Fields sits on or what will happen to the horses, horsemen and workers at the track that has been in existence since 1941. Its news release tried to portray the sense of over-the-top optimism while those affected viewed it with end-of-the-world pessimism. The Stronach Group announced Sunday that it was closing Golden Gate Fields at the end of the year.
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