From CHRB
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 16, 2025) — The California Horse Racing Board conducted a meeting Thursday, May 15, at Cal Expo. Chairman Gregory Ferraro chaired the meeting, joined by Vice Chair Oscar Gonzales and Commissioners Dennis Alfieri, Damascus Castellanos, Brenda Washington Davis, Thomas Hudnut, and Peter Stern.
The audio of this entire Board meeting is available on the CHRB Website (www.chrb.ca.gov) under the Webcastlink, accessed through the Media Room tab. In brief:
- The Humboldt County Fair made another appeal to have dates allocated to its racing program in Ferndale in 2025 – this after the Board failed in a 3-2 vote to allocate those dates at the April meeting. Humboldt gained a vote from newly appointed commissioner Peter Stern, joined by Vice Chair Gonzales and Commissioner Davis, but with only three affirmative votes, one short of the required majority, the motion failed. Commissioner Castellanos, who did not attend the April meeting, added his negative vote to those of Chairman Ferraro and Commissioners Alfieri and Hudnut, making the vote 4-3 against. Vice Chair Gonzales, the most vocal commissioner in support of Humboldt, immediately suggested that the Board hold a special meeting in 10 days to reconsider the matter. Chairman Ferraro said he would not call such a meeting, indicating that the matter has been settled twice already.
The testimony for and against the Ferndale meet echoed the remarks at the April meet, with supporters stressing the importance of the race meet to the Ferndale community (said to have an economic impact of $7 million). Supporters pointed out that some Northern California horsemen, who have not necessarily participated in Southern California, would benefit from the opportunity to win purses. Some suggested that a Ferndale meet could convince some owners of stallions and broodmares to continue breeding California-bred horses.
Bill Nader, president of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, said the Ferndale meet would divert badly needed revenue from Southern California racing at a time when California racing as a whole is benefiting from a consolidated circuit. “California has limited resources,” said Nader, “We now have momentum that we have not seen in a long time.”
Commissioner Castellanos, who eventually cast the deciding negative vote, hinted to his position during the discussion when he said, “It’s a big picture. It’s the industry we need to look at.”
- The Board approved the license application for the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club to conduct a 31-day thoroughbred meet in Del Mar, with racing running from July 18 through September 7, typically Thursday through Sunday. Del Mar will follow the lead of Santa Anita Park by offering some lower-level races to horses that previously raced or were stabled in Northern California.
- The Board approved the license application to conduct a horse-race meeting of the Los Angeles County Fair at Los Alamitos Race Course, with daytime racing from June 20 through July 6. Los Alamitos will continue to offer night quarter-horse racing during that same period with back-to-back programs.
- The Board authorized the distribution by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club of $13,776 in race day charity proceeds – with Del Mar voluntarily adding another $90,898 beyond the statutory requirement – to 10 beneficiaries.
- The Board authorized the distribution by the Los Angeles Turf Club (Santa Anita) of $13,606 in race day charity proceeds to 10 beneficiaries.
- In his report to the Board, Executive Director Scott Chaney noted the cancellation of the lease agreement between Cal Expo and Watch & Wager, operator of the harness meet in Sacramento. “There has been some communication between the two parties regarding continuing the lease for one more year,” said Chaney. “In the meantime, Watch & Wager is assessing alternative sites in Northern California to run its meet in the future.”