Bay Meadows denied trainer contest

SAN MATEO, Calif. - The California Horse Racing Board has told Bay Meadows to cancel its $15,000 Trainer Challenge, which would have coincided with the racing dates of the Big Fresno Fair. The board ruled that only fairs can hold such contests.

The California State Fair in Sacramento has run a trainers' contest, as did the Bay Meadows Fair in August. The purpose of the contests are to entice trainers to race at specific meets.

The proposed Bay Meadows challenge offered a top prize of a 2002 pickup truck plus $5,000 to the leading trainer down to $1,000 for fifth place based on the number of horses a trainer entered and top-five finishes. Bay Meadows is considering an appeal.