From CHRB
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (June 21, 2025) — The California Horse Racing Board conducted a meeting Thursday, June 19, 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 Webcast link, accessed through the Media Room tab. In brief:
- The Board voted against two separate applications for race meets in Ferndale and Fresno that would have provided for a total of 13 racing programs in Northern California during the months of September and October – outside of their normal fair periods. This was the third time in as many months that Ferndale supporters approached the Board for a license and were denied each time. The Fresno application was new, but it met the same result. Both applications failed by the same 4-3 vote with Chairman Ferraro and Commissioners Alfieri, Castellanos, and Hudnut voting against. Vice Chair Gonzales and Commissioners Davis and Stern voted for approval.
The issues and arguments both for and against the proposed northern meets are largely unchanged from previous discussions. Proponents believe those race meets would attract horses from Washington and other nearby states, and most importantly, possibly bring back horses that were forced to leave after the closure of Golden Gate Fields and the Pleasanton stabling and training center. Opponents argue that those predictions are not realistic and that racing programs in Ferndale and Fresno would be a financial disaster that would drain off resources from a rebounding circuit in Southern California.
In casting his negative vote, Commissioner Hudnut summed up the prevailing attitude of a majority of the Board with the comment, “I just want to assure you that there isn’t a commissioner up here who wouldn’t like to see racing in the north, at the fairs, and in the South. At the moment, we have a problem with the viability of horse racing in this state, regardless of where it is (and) in the final analysis, it’s not about horses. Unfortunately, it’s about money.”
Vice Chair Gonzales, easily the most passionate supporter of northern racing on the Board, responded by saying, “I appreciate what you’re saying, [but] I just think this Board decided Ferndale didn’t matter again.”
Commissioner Alfieri held out that hope that given time for a possible change in circumstances, the Board might reconsider any proposals for race meets in the north.
- The Board approved an agreed-upon formula developed by the industry to fund a budget of $17,400,000 for CHRB operations in 2025-26. Each track will provide funding to cover the costs of stewards and official veterinarians at each of their meets.
- The Board authorized a horse sale on September 23 in Pomona, offered by Fasig-Tipton.
- The Board authorized Los Alamitos Equine Sale Company to conduct a horse sale October 4, 5 at Los Alamitos Race Course.
- The Board approved a license for Gaslamp Tavern in San Diego to offer wagering on horse racing as a mini-satellite.
- The Board authorized the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club to modify its distribution of revenue from advance deposit wagering (ADW) in order to fund a California co-op marketing program.
- The Board authorized the California Thoroughbred Owners and southern tracks to use market access fees to help offset Northern California simulcast expenses not fully covered by statutory deductions.
- The Board authorized Northern California Off-Track Wagering to deduct an additional portion of its ADW revenue to help offset simulcast expenses not fully covered by statutory deductions.
- The Board approved a regulatory amendment codifying current practices at thoroughbred, quarter horse, and standardbred meets by setting maximum racing ages of 10 years for the running breeds and 14 for standardbreds. The rule also establishes a maximum age of 5 for horses that have never won a race.
- When Dr. Jeff Blea delivered the Equine Medical Director’s report, Vice Chair Gonzales asked him to monitor large-bone catastrophic fractures occurring after layoffs, which remain concerning despite regulations aimed at the problem.
- Executive Director Chaney reported that the Board’s headquarters office in Sacramento has remained closed due to damage from a fire in the building last month. No firm date for reopening has been set. Meanwhile, headquarters employees are working remotely from home.