Golden Gate Close

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

What belongs at the LA County Fair is cotton candy, a ferris wheel, a fun house, animal exhibitions, and impossible to win giant teddy bears.

Pomona got rid of racing because it is a money loser. And as much as I make fun of Los Al, at least it is 10 degrees colder there than in Pomona.

Corruption got rid of Horse Racing at Pomona. Los Al has no turf course and has been a complete failure. When H.P. closed down Liebau manipulated everyone into going to Los Al even though it was never a permanent solution. Pomona is being looked at again as we speak.

Head of L.A. County Fair Assn. quits after Times investigation

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...330-story.html

Excerpt:

Henwood's departure follows a Los Angeles Times investigation that found that he and other executives received lucrative pay and benefit packages despite several years of red ink at the association. The organization stages the annual fair and operates a number of year-round enterprises at the taxpayer-owned fairgrounds in Pomona.

In 2014, the most recent year for which figures are available, the association reported a loss of $3.44 million, federal tax returns show — its fifth straight year of negative results. During that period, compensation for Henwood and his top managers increased dramatically.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by Andy Asaro

Corruption got rid of Horse Racing at Pomona. Los Al has no turf course and has been a complete failure. When H.P. closed down Liebau manipulated everyone into going to Los Al even though it was never a permanent solution. Pomona is being looked at again as we speak.

Head of L.A. County Fair Assn. quits after Times investigation

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...330-story.html

Excerpt:

Henwood's departure follows a Los Angeles Times investigation that found that he and other executives received lucrative pay and benefit packages despite several years of red ink at the association. The organization stages the annual fair and operates a number of year-round enterprises at the taxpayer-owned fairgrounds in Pomona.

In 2014, the most recent year for which figures are available, the association reported a loss of $3.44 million, federal tax returns show — its fifth straight year of negative results. During that period, compensation for Henwood and his top managers increased dramatically.

Do you think Pomona was making a profit on racing greater than what they make on the concerts they hold there now? If your answer is "yes", how come a couple of other racing fairs have shut down in recent years?

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

Do you think Pomona was making a profit on racing greater than what they make on the concerts they hold there now? If your answer is "yes", how come a couple of other racing fairs have shut down in recent years?

All I can tell you is what I know from reading AND talking to people high up in the food chain. Do I think it will happen? No, I think California racing as we know it is done.

[Andy Asaro]

Twitter

[CheckMark]

Originally Posted by Andy Asaro

https://twitter.com/ToddTVG/status/1007307902573400064

I love Golden Gate. I also loved Hollywood Park, but they shut it down. Hopefully they do not do this to Golden Gate.

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by CheckMark

I love Golden Gate. I also loved Hollywood Park, but they shut it down. Hopefully they do not do this to Golden Gate.

I doubt they will shut it down.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by Andy Asaro

All I can tell you is what I know from reading AND talking to people high up in the food chain. Do I think it will happen? No, I think California racing as we know it is done.

I think Fairplex was always a fantasy. The business model of the racing fairs- that horse racing is popular and brings people in who then spend money on the fair- has not worked for years. Stockton and Vallejo now use their racetracks for concerts at the fair, and so does Pomona. If horse racing at the fair were a moneymaker at the fair, none of those 3 would have ever given up their dates.

A lot of things were desperately thrown about by people who didn't want to confront the reality that California can only support one circuit. One of the ridiculous ideas- Los Al- got enacted, but it isn't going to last forever.

People hate Stronach, but he at least has been able to keep racing going. Might as well keep him happy rather than undertaking extravagant failures.

[AlsoEligible]

Apparently Ritvo didn't show at the GGF meeting today, but not a lot of new information came out of it anyway. Next week's CHRB meeting is where all the sparks will really fly.

http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com...33XnI.facebook

Ritvo did not attend the June 14 meeting, which was hosted by Golden Gate’s General Manager David Duggan and P.J. Campo, the Vice President of Racing for The Stronach Group. They spoke with local owners and trainers about Golden Gate’s future, urging them to attend the CHRB meeting June 21 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

“At the meeting we simply reiterated our position with regard to the model that exists in California,” Duggan said. “We told the horsemen that we wish to change the model, that it is broken and has been broken and documented since 2010. That is the message we delivered to the horsemen; they took it reasonably well.”

But at least one horseman feels uneasy.

“I don’t want us to be forced into the middle,” said trainer Blaine Wright, who is based out of Golden Gate. “This is between two companies, and we as horsemen shouldn’t have to stand up for one or the other. I would love to see year-round racing at Golden Gate, because I believe in racing where you are training, so I’m for The Stronach Group and support them. But it puts the horsemen in a bad bind to tell us to go to the meeting next week and speak up about this.”

Dates for the Northern California circuit have already been a contentious subject as The Stronach Group continues to seek year-round racing at Golden Gate, which could come at the expense of the fair circuit. The long-standing summer tradition sees racing bounce between Pleasanton, Cal Expo, Santa Rosa, Ferndale, Los Alamitos, and Fresno, which Wright notes can be logistically difficult for trainers and their staff.

“The fair circuit is fun, but it’s problematic because you’re limited in the racing,” Wright said. “But the fairs do offer a stakes schedule that Golden Gate can’t compete with.”

The Stronach Group has contended they would like to race concurrently with the fair circuit, but questions remain over the California horse population’s ability to support simultaneous racing in the area.

“I’m sure that the CHRB meeting next week will be interesting,” Duggan said. “They know what our stance is.”

[Fager Fan]

Originally Posted by Andy Asaro

https://twitter.com/ToddTVG/status/1007307902573400064

I'm all for boycotts on important issues and such, but Todd is just like all the other handicappers who don't get that they are *only* the customer. The customer in racing has the very same amount of *say* in racing as the customer of any other service or product has over that company. The *say* is either buying the service or product or not, writing complaints or suggestions or not.

As someone who's made my living in the shampoo industry 30yrs, I've seen innumerable variations of disputes like this. I certainly get complexities. However, Industry needs to remember who's money they're dividing up; shampoo users. Yet,that group never has a say.

So what does Shrupp think? That people with hair should have seats on the Proctor & Gamble board? Maybe they get together and vote one of themselves in as the executive vice president of product and marketing?

Exactly what *say* does Shrupp think the customers of any product should have, and how should that *say* be implemented?

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by Fager Fan

I'm all for boycotts on important issues and such, but Todd is just like all the other handicappers who don't get that they are *only* the customer. The customer in racing has the very same amount of *say* in racing as the customer of any other service or product has over that company. The *say* is either buying the service or product or not, writing complaints or suggestions or not.

As someone who's made my living in the shampoo industry 30yrs, I've seen innumerable variations of disputes like this. I certainly get complexities. However, Industry needs to remember who's money they're dividing up; shampoo users. Yet,that group never has a say.

So what does Shrupp think? That people with hair should have seats on the Proctor & Gamble board? Maybe they get together and vote one of themselves in as the executive vice president of product and marketing?

Exactly what *say* does Shrupp think the customers of any product should have, and how should that *say* be implemented?

Shrupp speaks out about low takeout and other issues when he can. He helped expose the photo finish debacle at Del Mar last year. Don't know anyone on air who does that at least once in a while. I appreciate it.

[alhattab]

Originally Posted by AlsoEligible

Apparently Ritvo didn't show at the GGF meeting today, but not a lot of new information came out of it anyway. Next week's CHRB meeting is where all the sparks will really fly.

http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com...33XnI.facebook

I'm not very close to this story but it sounds a bit like Gulfstream/Calder, Part Deaux.

[Prioress Ply]

“I don’t want us to be forced into the middle,” said trainer Blaine Wright, who is based out of Golden Gate. “This is between two companies, and we as horsemen shouldn’t have to stand up for one or the other. I would love to see year-round racing at Golden Gate, because I believe in racing where you are training, so I’m for The Stronach Group and support them. But it puts the horsemen in a bad bind to tell us to go to the meeting next week and speak up about this.”


I'll bet he wants to see year round racing of 5 and 6 horse fields so the club can continue.

Look at the cars these clowns roll up to the track in the morning in. Real eye opener.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by Prioress Ply

“I don’t want us to be forced into the middle,” said trainer Blaine Wright, who is based out of Golden Gate. “This is between two companies, and we as horsemen shouldn’t have to stand up for one or the other. I would love to see year-round racing at Golden Gate, because I believe in racing where you are training, so I’m for The Stronach Group and support them. But it puts the horsemen in a bad bind to tell us to go to the meeting next week and speak up about this.”


I'll bet he wants to see year round racing of 5 and 6 horse fields so the club can continue.

Look at the cars these clowns roll up to the track in the morning in. Real eye opener.

As I said upthread, I am not a fan of separate year round Northern and Southern circuits. But if Wright wants that, giving Stronach what he wants is his best hope for it.

[Valuist]

There's no reason why both circuits can't exist. Many of the Bay area horses aren't good enough to compete down south. The Bay area is one of the biggest metro areas in the country. They SHOULD be able to support year round racing. Another example of synthetic racing killing the product. Put real dirt in at GGF and they probably thrive. Absolutely no reason for an all-weather surface in California.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by Valuist

There's no reason why both circuits can't exist. Many of the Bay area horses aren't good enough to compete down south. The Bay area is one of the biggest metro areas in the country. They SHOULD be able to support year round racing. Another example of synthetic racing killing the product. Put real dirt in at GGF and they probably thrive. Absolutely no reason for an all-weather surface in California.

1. BM, the dirt track up there, didn't even manage to last as long as GGF. Tapeta has probably helped save the NCal circuit.

2. The main problem is a shortage of horses, resulting in small unbettable fields. The size of the Bay area market has nothing to do with that.

3. SA now has MCL16000 and CLM6250 races,and they draw 6 horse fields. We are ready to absorb GGF's cheaper horses.