Pleasanton meet, fair season open Thursday
The Northern California summer fair season kicks off Thursday at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton. This year’s fair schedule has a slightly different look than last year’s.
The 12-day Oak Tree at Pleasanton meeting runs through July 5 and will be followed by an extended three-week meeting at the California State Fair in Sacramento, three weeks at Santa Rosa for the Sonoma County Fair, and two weeks at Ferndale for the Humboldt County Fair.
Golden Gate Fields begins its summer-fall meeting Aug. 21 and runs through Sept. 7 before taking a break to allow for a two-week run at the San Joaquin Fair in Stockton. Golden Gate resumes its meet Sept. 24, then takes another break to allow for the Big Fresno Fair meet.
The Alameda County Fair should provide a jump-start for the California Authority of Racing Fairs summer program. The meet features six Thoroughbred stakes, including the first of two $100,000 races during the summer, the six-furlong Oak Tree Distaff on June 27. The $100,000 Harris Farm Stakes for 2-year-olds will be run Oct. 11 at Fresno.
The purses for two stakes have been trimmed, with the purse money being shifted to overnight races. The Oak Tree Handicap has been cut from $100,000 to $50,000 and the Oak Tree Sprint from $75,000 to $50,000. Purses for the meet will total $1.7 million, with another $200,000 for the emerging breeds (mules, Quarter Horses, and Arabians).
“The horse population is down about 10 percent this year, but the number of trainers is up, which we believe can lead to more entries,” said CARF racing secretary Tom Doutrich.
The card for closing day will include two Thoroughbred stakes, the Oak Tree Sprint and the Everett Nevin Futurity. There also are two Arabian stakes scheduled for that day: the $47,800 H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyah Arabian Cup, which is the second leg of the Arabian Triple Jewel, and the $34,000 H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship.
Pleasanton will offer $50,000-guaranteed pick fours every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Giveaways include T-shirts on opening day and bags June 26. Among the other promotions during the meet is an “Owner for a Day” contest.