2026 Southern California racing dates will closely mirror this year

The California Horse Racing Board approved racing days for 2026 for the Southern California Thoroughbred circuit that largely mirrors a calendar in place since 2017.

The board also approved a year-round night meeting at Los Alamitos for Quarter Horses and lower-level Thoroughbreds.

Later at the meeting, the board heard from a promoter of Northern California racing about the desire to resume race meetings in that part of the state for the first time since 2024.

On the Southern California Thoroughbred circuit for 2026, Santa Anita will hold two meetings – Dec. 25, 2025 through June 14, 2026, and Sept. 25 to Nov. 1. Los Alamitos will run three daytime meetings from June 19 to July 5, Sept. 11 to Sept. 20, and Dec. 4-13. Del Mar will have meetings from July 17 to Sept. 6, and Nov. 6-29.

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The summer days at Los Alamitos are run under the Los Angeles County Fair banner. Tracks must run a minimum of three days per week.

The dates awarded at Thursday’s meeting are different than the days the track will race to allow revenue to be generated from simulcasting on non-racing days. The 2025-2026 Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, for example, is allotted dates from Dec. 17 to June 16.

Northern California racing ceased after the closure of Golden Gate Fields in June 2024 and the collapse of a replacement meeting at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton last fall because of financial shortfalls.

Racing was not held at county fair meetings this year after the racing board rejected three proposals from Northern California backers at consecutive meetings from April through June earlier this year. At each of those meetings, the racing board voted 4-3 to reject proposals for racing at county fairs in Northern California, citing a desire to strengthen a single-circuit approach in Southern California.

On Thursday, George Schmitt, the primary backer of resuming racing in Northern California, told the racing board that he has been in contact with county fair officials about resuming racing in that part of the state and could approach the board seeking dates as early as next month.

“Let’s figure out how to get this industry working all over the state of California again,” Schmitt told the board.

Schmitt said there has been an increase in horses from Northern California at race meetings in Colorado, Washington State and Wyoming this year, and that California stables are likely to have a leading presence at the Turf Paradise meeting that begins in Phoenix next month.

Any proposals for a resumption of racing in Northern California will not include Cal-Expo in Sacramento, which has renovated the property that included a racetrack, Schmitt said.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.