North Cal 2017 Race Dates Still Unresolved

After two hours of discussion Oct. 7 about the ongoing dates dispute in Northern California, the California Horse Racing Board's Race Dates Committee made a recommendation for the regulatory agency's full monthly meeting Oct. 20, but essentially nothing moved forward.

Significant conflicts between multiple industry stakeholders in the region remain—most notably over the former San Joaquin County Fairgrounds (Stockton) dates in 2017, which were assigned to the Alameda County Fair (Pleasanton) in 2016 but are coveted by Golden Gate Fields.

But the committee members—most emphatically CHRB chairman Chuck Winner—would prefer the stakeholders to resolve the issues on their own, without the board being forced into making a decision that may anger some or all of those involved.

"It's one issue after another issue and conflict after conflict," Winner said at the end of the meeting at Santa Anita Park. "We don't want to be in a position of dictating. On the other hand, you've kinda put us in that position of dictating because you haven't reached a resolution."

The CHRB has committed to finalizing Northern California's 2017 dates at its full October session. But intertwined with the dates disputes—the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa also wants to move its dates from an early-August start to mid-July and the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale desires its dates without an overlap with Golden Gate—are stabling issues that include a six-figure deficit in the stabling and vanning fund, with varying opinions on how to eliminate it.

"These issues have been swirling around, but the deeper you get into them, the more you realize what they are," said Thoroughbred Owners of California president and chief executive officer Greg  Avioli. "Both (the California Authority of Racing Fairs) and Golden Gate to some level disavow responsibility for the $800,000 deficit in the North.

"Both have taken positions that in no way say, 'We're going to cover that.' Golden Gate believes they're owed $600,000 and CARF should pay for it. CARF said in a meeting with us last week 'We don't believe that's our responsibility.' ... Last year, CARF stabling and vanning cost $1 million more than it generated. ... As you look at these issues, you're looking at them in a vacuum. ... I wish you could look at these things in a vacuum, but you just can't."

CHRB commissioner George Krikorian said he felt the Northern California circuit was "broken."

"The dilemma here is you have an economic model that is terribly broken," Krikorian said. "There are six or seven racetracks and the revenue that's generated is split between those facilities. It just doesn't make a lot of economic sense.

"The other side of the coin is that you've got these tracks that have history in these communities and the communities want them to continue. So, you have to make a decision between what makes the most economic sense and supporting the fairs going forward. I'm torn."

At the end of the meeting, the Race Dates Committee recommended dates schedule proposed by CARF, but with the Stockton dates unassigned, however Winner still held out hope the stakeholders would find agreement before the October full meeting.

"This is a recommendation to the board pending a resolution by the parties, in hopes that they can make a recommendation that they all agree to," Winner said.