California fair season continues at alternate venues
Fair racing resumes with a twist Friday with the three weeks of dates alloted to the California State Fair in Sacramento. None of those cards will actually be held at the fair, which has decided not to run any races this year.
The first week will be run in Pleasanton at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, with the final two weeks at Golden Gate Fields.
Golden Gate will follow with two more weeks of racing on dates assigned to the Sonoma County Fair at Santa Rosa. Sonoma County is not conducting a fair this year.
The final four weeks of fair racing will be conducted at the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale and Big Fresno Fair in Fresno.
Ferndale will run Aug. 20-29, featuring the 1 5/8-mile C.J. Hindley Humboldt County Marathon as the final race of the meet. Fresno will run Oct. 8-17 with a pair of $75,000 stakes, the Harris Farm at six furlongs and the Bulldog Stakes at 1 1/8 miles.
Pleasanton’s own three-week meet, which ran from June 18-July 5, proved successful with handle up 20 percent over the 2020 meeting.
Pleasanton ran three stakes at its meet, but there will be no stakes over the Sacramento dates at Pleasanton or Golden Gate. The $75,000 Governor’s Stakes was scheduled for July 24 but has been canceled.
Golden Gate will run two traditional Santa Rosa turf stakes during the Sonoma County Fair dates.
The Luther Burbank for fillies and mares will be run Aug. 7, with the Robert Dupret Derby for 3-year-olds on Aug. 14. Both races are scheduled for 1 1/16 miles and each will offer a $50,000 purse.
Fans are allowed to attend races this year at Pleasanton and Golden Gate. Tickets must be purchased in advance online for both tracks.