Golden State Racing releases purse offerings

Purses at the nine-week Golden State Racing meeting that begins on Oct. 19 at the Alameda county fair in Pleasanton will be higher than the current fair meeting in Fresno or at Golden Gate Fields earlier this year, but lower than what Golden Gate Fields offered last fall.

The condition book, detailing the proposed races for the first eight racing days of the 26-day season, was recently released.

A maiden race will have a purse of $27,000, down $3,000 from what was offered at Golden Gate Fields last fall, but considerably higher than the $22,500 prize offered at Golden Gate earlier this year. At Fresno, a maiden race has a purse of $25,000.

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A first-condition allowance race at the Golden State Racing meeting this fall will be worth $28,000 compared to $31,000 at Golden Gate Fields last fall, $23,500 at Golden Gate Fields earlier this year, and $26,000 at Fresno.

Last December, Golden Gate officials announced a 25 percent purse cut for the track’s winter-spring meeting in an effort to recoup a $3.1 million purse overpayment accrued in recent years. The track closed permanently on June 9.

Golden State Racing’s fall meeting will replace dates previously run at Golden Gate Fields. Golden State Racing, a consortium of owners, trainers and breeders in Northern California, working with the California Authority of Racing Fairs, are conducting the fall meeting, and plan a winter-spring meeting from Dec. 26 to early June of 2025.

Purses levels for the forthcoming Golden State Racing meeting were the subject of several contentious discussions in recent months between the Thoroughbred Owners of California and backers of the meeting. The groups settled on an average daily purse distribution of $170,000, which the TOC had sought, while Golden State Racing officials wanted an average distribution of $147,000, rising to $163,000 with supplements included.

The two sides agreed in September that purses will be lowered at the forthcoming meeting if handle figures fail to meet expectations in the early weeks of the season, which runs through Dec. 15.

The meeting includes six $75,000 races, beginning with the Bart Hellar Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on Oct. 19. For 3-year-olds and older, the Oakland Stakes at six furlongs will be run on Nov. 9, followed by the Mount Diablo Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 16.

There are stakes on the final three Saturdays of the meeting – the Livermore Valley Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at six furlongs on Nov. 30, the Golden Gate Debutante Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 7, and the Bay Meadows Juvenile Stakes for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 14.

Golden State Racing has launched a season-long $75,000 incentive program for owners of California-breds who start at least twice at the meeting. California-bred runners will accrue points for wins or placings at the meeting. The owners of the horse with the highest point total will earn $30,000, with payoffs for the first eight runners in the rankings.

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