A group of Northern California-based owners, breeders, and trainers were urged by officials with the California State Fair in Sacramento on Friday to present elaborate details in February for a proposed Thoroughbred race meeting at the venue to begin as soon as late September. The proposed race meeting would replace Golden Gate Fields as Northern California’s primary racing venue. Golden Gate Fields is scheduled to close in June. The horsemen’s group made a presentation to the Cal-Expo board of directors on Friday on a proposal for Thoroughbred racing and were urged to meet with officials of Watch and Wager, which currently operates two harness race meetings at Sacramento each year. At the California Horse Racing Board’s monthly meeting on Jan. 18, Northern California Thoroughbred horsemen said they had developed a plan to race Thoroughbreds on the existing one-mile track and to develop a seven-eighths mile infield track to accommodate harness racing. The plan was met with skepticism from some members and staff of the racing board who were concerned about costs and a tight timeline to complete the project before late September. Cal-Expo officials have instructed Thoroughbred horsemen to present details of a partnership with harness horsemen and provide “full financial details for both the capital improvement needs of the horse racing facility and the complete revenue package toward Cal-Expo,” according to documents on the state fair organization’s website. Sacramento and Pleasanton, in Alameda County, are considered the two most suitable venues to continue racing in Northern California. The plan to continue year-round racing in Northern California also has received pushback from officials with tracks in Southern California and the Thoroughbred Owners of California. Those officials told the racing board last month that the state should consolidate year-round racing in Southern California and use simulcasting funds generated in Northern California to pay the regulatory obligations of the southern tracks or use those dollars for purses. Justin Oldfield, a Northern California-based owner and breeder who chairs the group of Thoroughbred horsemen, said Cal-Expo officials were receptive to his group’s proposal. “I think we got what we expected,” he said. “I think the bottom line is there was direction to continue discussions and for our staff to engage in those discussions. “It’s making sure that we keep all options on the table and we make an informed decision.” There is an urgency to reach a resolution of some kind before the racing board’s next scheduled meeting on March 21 in Sacramento. The racing board has not issued racing dates for the final weeks of September or for the final weeks of October through the end of 2024. “It was made clear that March 21 is the date,” Oldfield said. “There has to be a plan in place.” There is a possibility that racing could be held at Pleasanton beginning in late September, with Sacramento remaining a long-term option. “I think right now all options are on the table,” Oldfield said. “We have things we need to work through on the Sacramento side. “There will be racing in the north. As much as we can, we want to make sure that we’ve exhausted every avenue. This is a new chapter for racing in Northern California. These are decisions that cannot be rushed.” Blaine Wright, who trains a stable based at Golden Gate Fields, is one of two trainers in the horsemen’s group working to find a replacement venue. Wright said that he and fellow trainer Jamey Thomas are serving as liaisons to the backstretch community, as well as offering the perspective of trainers. “I’m kind of a voice for the horsemen, myself and Jamey Thomas,” he said. “We’re able to share information. It’s a side I’ve never been on.” Wright has a background in the state of Washington. He said Sunday that he fears the absence of continuity in Northern California racing will have a detrimental effect on the sport throughout the state. Without a year-round presence, stables may leave for other circuits and owners and breeders may lose interest. In Washington, racing is currently held at Emerald Downs, near Seattle. The state once had three tracks – Longacres, Playfair, and Yakima Meadows. Those tracks have all closed. “I lived through Washington,” Wright said. “Our foal crop has dwindled to nothing and we’re racing 50 days a year. To anyone who think it cannot happen, that is very naive.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.