Golden Gate Fields boosts purses for winter meeting

Golden Gate Fields will increase purses from 12 percent to 30 percent for claiming and starter allowance races for the winter-spring meeting, which begins on Dec. 26, the track announced.

The higher purses are focused on claimers, maiden claimers and starter allowance races.

Races will receive across-the-board $3,000 increases. A $40,000 claiming race will increase from $25,000 to $28,000, or 12 percent, while a $3,200 claimer will be worth $13,000, a 30 percent hike from the current level of $10,000.

A $4,000 claimer will be worth $13,400, a 29 percent gain from $10,400, while a $12,500 claimer will rise 18 percent, from $17,000 to $20,000.

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The increases were made possible through a reduction in racing days from four days a week last winter to three with the recent elimination of Thursday programs; a boost in handle from account-wagering sources; and through an agreement to enhance purses throughout the state reached in January between California tracks, the Thoroughbred Owners of California and the account-wagering firm TVG.

Racing secretary Patrick Mackey said the January agreement and strong handle has erased a purse overpayment and allowed for the increases.

“We’ve been trending in the right direction,” Mackey said on Wednesday. “We were behind the eight ball, so to speak, for awhile.”

With a three-day week in 2022, Mackay projects purses will be $185,000 a day compared to $142,000 on four-day weeks.

The Thursday programs were held when Southern California tracks were not operating. The tracks are able to maximize simulcast and account-wagering handle when venues operate on both circuits.

Mackay said tentative plans are for grass racing to continue through the second week of January before the start of a winter break. With the exception of a significant October storm, there has been minimal rain in recent weeks in the Bay Area.

Currently, the track has 1,250 horses in the stable area, which has a capacity of 1,500. Mackay said a recruitment drive is underway, focusing on stables based in Illinois.

“If we can get to 1,350 or 1,400, that’s a pretty full barn area,” he said. “We’d love to build up a little more.”

Golden Gate’s winter-spring meeting continues until mid-June and is the longest of the year on the Northern California circuit.