Ferndale Racetrack OK After Earthquake

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A magnitude 6.5 earthquake off the coast of Northern California Dec. 8 only caused "minor cosmetic damages" to the Ferndale racetrack at the Humboldt County Fair, according to fair officials.

The earthquake, which hit at 6:49 a.m. PT, had an epicenter about 100 miles off the coast. Ferndale sits about 200 miles north of the San Francisco Bay Area.

"We're really fortunate," said Richard Conway, general manager of the Humboldt County Fair. "There's almost no evidence of the earthquake. Things shook off shelves and there's some cracks in drywall, but that's it.

"It's funny how these things can happen. We've had smaller earthquakes cause more damage, but this time we were fortunate."

The Humboldt County Fair has offered horse racing since its first year in 1896.