The Northern California Yearling Sale in Pleasanton has been canceled this year because of a lack of training and racing in that part of the state. “It’s time to look at other options,” said Doug Burge, the president of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, which conducted the sale since 2004. “There’s no racing. There’s no stabling. It’s hard to financially justify a sale without racing or training.” Without a sale in Northern California, the only remaining auction for yearlings will be the Fasig-Tipton California sale in Pomona on Sept. 23. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Burge said Northern California consignors may send yearlings to the Fasig-Tipton sale. Another option will be the CTBA’s winter mixed sale in Pomona in January 2026 where those prospects could be sold as early-season 2-year-olds. “Without a 2-year-old in training sale out here, the early 2-year-olds have sold well” in January, Burge said. “Yeah, you have to hold on to these yearlings a little bit longer, but there is demand for early 2-year-olds especially ones that have been broken or are galloping. “I think that’s a sale that has major potential and has room to grow. Quite a few people are looking at that.” Another option is the growing digital sale market where horses are not sent to an auction venue but remain on the property of the owner or consignor while bidding occurs over a multi-day period. No racing has been held in Northern California since December after a fall meeting at Pleasanton failed to produce sufficient business. Golden Gate Fields closed permanently last June. After the 2024 fair circuit was held in the summer and early fall, a fall meeting was held at Pleasanton, but failed to draw sufficient business, leading to the cancellation of a proposed winter-spring meeting. No fair meetings are scheduled this year. Officials with the Humboldt county fair in Ferndale in the far north of California requested a three-week meeting from the California Horse Racing Board earlier this month, a proposal rejected by a 4-3 vote. At the 2024 Northern California yearling sale, 94 horses sold for an average of $5,750, according to statistics published by the CTBA. The 2023 sale had an average sale price of $9,125. At the Fasig-Tipton California sale last September, 163 horses sold for an average of $29,334, according to the sale company. The 2023 auction had an average of $31,089. A Fasig-Tipton official said on Thursday that the company’s sale would welcome yearlings that would have been offered at the Northern California sale. “I don’t know how many horses we’ll get, but I’m sure we’ll get a few of them,” said Mike Machowsky, Fasig-Tipton’s California representative. “It’s an open sale. They can enter anything they want.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.