California Horse Racing Board approves 2017-19 racing calendars

DEL MAR, Calif. - The California Horse Racing Board approved a three-year racing calendar for the Southern California Thoroughbred circuit starting in 2017, with dates similar to the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

The racing board was presented with a proposed calendar by racing officials at a committee meeting on Monday. The full board approved the calendar on Thursday.

For the 2017 season, Santa Anita will run from Dec. 26, 2016 to July 4, 2017, followed by a two-week meeting at Los Alamitos. Del Mar’s summer meeting will run from July 19 to Sept. 4. Los Alamitos will host the Los Angeles County Fair meeting for three weeks in September before Santa Anita begins a five-week autumn meeting in the final days of September through October.

In the final months of the year, Del Mar will run a four-week meeting from Nov. 1-26 before Los Alamitos hosts a three-week meeting from Nov. 30 to Dec. 17. Del Mar’s autumn meeting will include the Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 3-4.

The 2018 and 2019 seasons will have similar calendars.

This year, Los Alamitos conducted a three-week Thoroughbred meeting in April and did not have a Thoroughbred meet in July.

The 2017 racing dates for the Northern California circuit are still in dispute. Racing board chairman Chuck Winner said on Thursday that those dates will be finalized in September, regardless of whether racing officials at those tracks have reached a resolution.