track closure

Whether someone had the biggest stable in Northern California or a two-horse operation, the news released Sunday that Golden Gate Fields, which opened in 1941, will shut down at the end of the meet in December was a punch to the gut and led to a great deal of uncertainty. Horsemen have just five months to figure out what they will do next. The possibilities are many. They could shift their operations to Santa Anita. They could stay put and hope that the California Authority of Racing Fairs (CARF) circuit...

Santa Anita's main track was closed Thursday morning and the training track was limited to only joggers following yet another rainstorm that hit the area this week. Track officials said just over an inch of rain fell on Santa Anita during this latest series of storms, which began Tuesday. Wednesday morning, prior to the heaviest of the rainfall, both the main track and training track were open to gallopers and joggers. There have been no timed workouts at Santa Anita since Tuesday. On Friday, an eight-race card is scheduled for...

Another link to New England's horse racing history will go dark this month, soon to be razed for development: Scarborough Downs on the southern Maine seacoast confirmed it will host its final Standardbred program Nov. 28, ending 70 years of horse racing at the venue that first opened as a one-mile Thoroughbred track in 1950. The Portland Press Herald first reported the news, although the track's demise had been signaled by a purchase two years ago by developers who have been rebuilding over adjacent property while letting the harness operators...

In following the guidance from local health authorities, Golden Gate Fields has announced the suspension of live racing through November in a continuing effort to ensure the safety and well-being of 1/ST RACING employees and those working on the backstretch and the extended community. Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Golden Gate Fields has implemented stringent health and safety measures including, strict social distancing, masking policies and regular COVID-19 testing with isolation requirements for any positive cases or identified close contacts. Last week, Golden Gate Fields announced a one-week...