Defying Santa Anita’s dire warnings, the California Horse Racing Board on Thursday approved plans for an autumn thoroughbred season at the Pleasanton fairgrounds in Northern California’s East Bay.
The decision, by a 6-0 vote with one member absent, capped an emotional meeting in Sacramento where the board quizzed proponents of replacing soon-to-close Golden Gate Fields with Pleasanton and scorned Santa Anita and Del Mar executives who claim the sport must consolidate in the south of the state to survive here.
Tensions had risen Tuesday when Craig Fravel, executive vice chairman of 1/ST Racing, which runs Santa Anita for the Stronach Group, said in a letter to CHRB members that the Arcadia track might close if Southern California interests don’t receive more simulcast wagering revenue, which would have happened if Northern California was denied a major meet.
The California Association of Racing Fairs proposed to run a 10-week meet at Pleasanton beginning in October, as well as summer meets for three weeks at Santa Rosa, for four weeks at Ferndale and for four weeks at Fresno.
Golden Gate Fields, in Albany, Calif., is scheduled to close for good in June.
“This is a very difficult position for the board to be in. No matter what decision we make, we have half the state mad at us,” CHRB chairman Greg Ferraro said at the outset.
It seemed clear that the board wasn’t swayed – in fact, was angered – by Fravel’s letter warning that Santa Anita’s owners might seek “alternative uses” for its 320 acres if Northern California was thrown a lifeline.
“I think we all took umbrage in the threat contained in your letter the other day,” board member Thomas Hudnut told Fravel.
“It comes across as if, ‘You don’t do it my way, I’m going to take my ball and leave,’ ” said board member Damascus Castellanos.
When Fravel said the letter was “not intended to be a threat,” many in the pro-Northern California audience laughed.
The board…
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