Golden Gate Fields cancels Friday card due to lack of entries

ALBANY, Calif. - Golden Gate Fields has canceled racing for Friday because of insufficient entries, track general manager David Duggan said on Sunday.

This will be the second time in three weeks the flagship Northern California track will not race on a Friday. Racing was canceled on April 19 because of a lack of entries.

Racing was held last Friday, although the program opened with fields of four and three runners in the first two races on a seven-race program.

Golden Gate Fields is scheduled to close permanently on June 9. Duggan said Friday programs for the balance of May and early June will be assessed on a “case-by-case basis.”

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Through Saturday, the track has averaged 6.57 runners per races in 423 races since the start of the current meeting on Dec. 26, 2023. During a similar time period last year, the track averaged 6.61 runners per race in 487 races.

With the cancellation of Friday’s race, there is a possibility of more races and better field sizes on Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday program will include a simulcast of the Kentucky Derby.

On the weekend of April 20-21, Golden Gate ran nine races per day and averaged 6.89 runners.

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