Standardbred racing took yet another hit last week as the California State Fair Board announced that it would be terminating its lease with Watch and Wager LLC., effectively ending a 54-year run of harness racing at the Sacramento one-mile Cal Expo oval. The news was a shock to all involved and will have lasting effects. "Ever since June when Golden Gate announced it was closing this whole thing has really been a nightmare," said Chris Schick, General Manager of Watch and Wager, which runs the December to May meet at Cal Expo. "We knew they were going to exercise the option but instead of a six-month notice, we thought they were going to give us a year so we could get one more season in until May of 2026." The Fair Board activated a clause in the lease which allowed them to provide six months' notice at any time to effectively end the contract. According to Schick, who has been working at the track on and off since 1995 and is now in his 13th year at the helm for Watch and Wager, the clause was initially put in place because the Fair Board felt there was the possibility of the property becoming too valuable to continue as a racetrack. Additionally, at the time of signing, the risk was lowered because the clause could only be put in motion if there was no other racing at the track. The Board elected to suspend the Thoroughbred meeting in late March, citing among other things a lack of horse population in the Northern part of California. "This termination had nothing to do with us," said Schick, who added that Watch and Wager would never have gotten the lease without the clause included. "The collapse of Thoroughbred racing in the north is the root cause of what allowed them to do this. If Pleasanton didn't fail we wouldn't be having this conversation." Cal Expo joins Freehold Raceway, Pompano Park and Northville Downs in recent years as Standardbred tracks to close their doors permanently. In terms of the impact on the racing community, perhaps this shuttering best compares to Pompano in that both tracks are/were located on an island in a way since each is more than 950 miles from the nearest U.S. harness track. In the case of Cal Expo, it is about 2,000 miles from Running Aces in Minnesota and Hawthorne Racecourse in Illinois. Those that are able, like current leading driver and trainer Nick Roland, must find a new location to race their stock from December until early May when Running Aces opens. That said, the end-of-days for the track means a life-changing event for many families. "It is pretty devastating. For me, we [along with partner Jessica Johnson] have an apartment here and we can sell all our stuff and move, but there are a few hundred people that live here," said Roland. Roland was referring to the backstretch where a trailer park houses some 75 families according to Schick. They pay approximately $450 a month to live on the grounds and now will have to not only find a new place to live but perhaps uproot their kids from their schools and routines. That is on top of finding new employment for nearly half the year. "My biggest fear is that these people have gotten short notice and really weren't given the chance to deal with the issue. Will they give up their apartments? Many of them store their equipment here. Also, where do these people pivot to? What do the people in the trailer park do and how does it affect their kids in school? All of those issues are impacting our little community which is basically being unearthed," said Schick. For Roland, who has taken past shots in New York and as recently as 2023 in Pennsylvania rather than head back to California during the winter, there is another similarity Cal Expo has to the now torn-down Pompano Park which made it very desirable – good weather. "We make the majority of our living in Minnesota where the purses are twice as high as Cal Expo, but we make some money out here. It can get chilly but it doesn't snow. It is a really nice place to race. To spend the winter in a place like this and train babies down while being able to race...with Florida being gone it is kind of the only place that is still racing in a climate where it isn't snowing on you in the winter time," said Roland, who has a dominating 60 to 38 lead over Luke Plano in the driver standings at Cal Expo with one card to go. Roland will get one last chance to dominate at Cal Expo on Friday night when he will drive in virtually every race and his barn will send out four horses on the 14-race card. His best chance comes in one of two $50,000 California Sire Stakes races for 4-year-olds with Celebrity Status. Bred and owned by Set The Pace Racing [Jessica Johnson and Ken Stauffer], Celebrity Status has won six of 10 races at Cal Expo during the meet and is expected to be the heavy favorite in the eighth race against four others. It will be back to Minnesota, Canada, Indiana or wherever for those Cal Expo faithful who ship in for five months to compete before heading back north or east during the warmer months. Where they will go as next winter approaches is very much a mystery. There is a last-ditch humanitarian plea to reconsider racing at Cal Expo through May of 2026, though that could be a bit of a longshot at this point. At least from a humanity standpoint, those contacted agreed allowing for some extension would be a good compromise - perhaps even a shortened December 2025 to March 2026 meet to give management, all horsepeople, and everyone on the backstretch a chance to plan for the future. While there isn't enough time to get a meet together for late this year at a different location in California, other options are perhaps on the table for the fall/winter of 2026 into 2027. The San Joaquin Fairgrounds in Stockton, about 40 miles away, is something Schick and team are exploring. There are hurdles to overcome since the facility hasn't been used for racing in years and also has no nighttime lighting system, meaning Cal Expo would have to race during the daylight hours, something Schick said was a possibility. "The horsemen have indicated that they support it," said Schick, who also has another potential option up his sleeve if officials in Arizona are to play ball. "The operator at Arizona Downs has reached out to about us and expressed an interest in us racing there." Schick and team have been exploring Arizona Downs for years and were originally planning to run a bridge meet there from late September when Running Aces closes until early November to provide an opportunity ahead of the normal Cal Expo meet. Despite reaching an agreement with the facility operator, the Commission in the state wouldn't hear the application. "We would have to go through the process again," said Schick about the possibility of revisiting Arizona Downs, another location with support of the racing community. "They flew a bunch of us out there a few years ago. It is a beautiful facility and is definitely something I would do," said Roland, who would be open to almost any warm-weather location. "I'd be interested in a similar product anywhere out west. Somewhere we can get babies ready and stay away from winter weather." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter In the meantime, options for the racing community this winter include Hawthorne Racecourse or perhaps Monticello Raceway, two locations where Cal Expo-caliber horses figure to have a fighting chance to be competitive and earn their keep. Robin Schadt, who is the Racing Secretary at both Cal Expo and Hawthorne, said the horses would fit nicely in Illinois and that she would welcome them with open arms. "We've kind of talked about [racing at Hawthorne] with some of the people here [at Cal Expo]. They would fit nicely because the talent level at Hawthorne has dropped off," said Schadt, who has been at Cal Expo since 2014. "We could absolutely use them. We have a hard time filling the races that are not for 2- and 3-year-olds." A dual-breed facility, Hawthorne is already scheduled to conduct a three-nights-a-week winter meet for Standardbreds from November 7 to December 28. It is not yet known if/when there will be harness racing dates in 2026. Assuming the curtain comes down on Cal Expo on May 2 and the show never returns for one more limited run, those who have been there for decades will have to keep the track alive via their memories. Many will recall the friendships they've developed, while others have some regret on what could've been if things were different. "It is a really great facility. The barn area is great. It is a beautiful mile track that is kind of picturesque right in the middle of town," said Schick. "I would also remember it as a place that could've been great if something happened [alternative gaming revenue], but something never did happen. If we announced we were doubling our purses next year and instead of paying out $60,000 a night we were paying out $120,000 a night, how many horses would we have? We are fully contained on track, have decent weather, and we are a mile track." "I won a couple of driving titles here. Right now it's 1 o'clock and the weather is 80 degrees. Any day it is like that is a great memory," said Roland. "I'll also remember the people. A lot of places where you go for racing, I don't know if you've been on a lot of backstretches, but a lot of places people are half-miserable after competing with each other for their livelihood for generations. They don't like each other. Here, there are people who don't like each other, but for the most part people's attitudes are upbeat and it is like a big family. Everybody helps everybody out." "I will be in tears watching my horses load in that van next week knowing I will never see them again! I get choked up just thinking about it," said trainer Robin Clements. "I've been around Cal Expo since 1972 with a 17-year stint in Chicago but came back to my hometown track in 2001. "I know the history of this place and the people and horses who raced here all along. I remember when it was a winter training place. I watched the track records being broken and all the Sires Stakes babies make it to the races. I'm sad to see it close up and so quickly!" "It's been very sad. A lot of tears are being shed because the people here have formed a family, and that happens in Standardbred racing. I have my California family and it is tearing me apart, and I'm not in the predicament of the California horsemen. I have a home in Illinois and I'm only out here in the winter," said Schadt, who called the Fair Board decision "heartless" with respect to the lack of notice and timing of the Board's decision. Reality can often be disheartening and that is certainly the case for Cal Expo and its racing community. They'll put on one final show on Friday. Stories will be shared and perhaps memories of former standouts like all-age track-record holder Eaton Kill Road (1:49 4/5, 2005) or the ever-popular Pridecrest, who holds the trotting record of 1:53 2/5 set in 2017, will be in the thoughts of those in attendance or watching. Now 13, Pridecrest got one last winning mile at Cal Expo on April 25, the 66th win of his career. For some horses, like Allmyx'sliventexas, a son of California Hall of Fame stallion Hi Ho Silverheel's, Friday will mark his final go around the Cal Expo oval. The 12-year-old began his career over the track as a 2-year-old in December 2015 and has won the majority of his 68 races in Sacramento. Fittingly, Allmyx'sliventexas will reportedly have a retirement ceremony after his 225th lifetime start on Friday in race seven. As he'll leave fond memories for those that have watched him race there through the years, so too will Cal Expo, a track that survived more than half a century and seems to be checking out before its time.