Golden Gate to close?

[46zilzal]

Originally Posted by horsefan2019

I didn't say it was impossible, it would cost them more than just simply putting down some rails and growing grass.

Little Santa Rosa did just that.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by 46zilzal

Investigate, and LEARN FROM, the best little meeting, year in and year out, OAKLAWN in Hot Springs, Ark.

Learn to be a vacation track which operates a time limited meet in a location accessible to Kentucky?

[Inner Dirt]

Does Santa Anita lower the bottom claiming prices to give Golden Gate horses more places to go?

[castaway01]

Per the Jockey Club Fact Book:

In the last 30 years (1992 to 2022), we've gone from 70,000 races a year to 33,000.

And yet, the average field size has gone from 8.62 horses to 7.59.

Why? Because the foal crop has dropped from 35,000 in 1992 to 17,000 last year.

Notice how the number of races and the foal crop have dropped at almost identical rates? Add to that horses racing a lot less frequently than they used to, and you get those field size numbers. It's not rocket science.

Unless you get more people interested in racing and/or breeding horses and/or thinking they can make money racing horses and/or suddenly finding it an interesting way to waste money again, nothing will change.

[iamt]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

Does Santa Anita lower the bottom claiming prices to give Golden Gate horses more places to go?

I have a sneaky feeling that Stronarch are hoping the lower claimers get shifted to Arizona Downs (whatever that meet ends up looking like) assuming their purchase there goes through without issue.

[vikingrob]

This could have impacts two time zones away.

If the reports are that the plan is for Northern California thoroughbred racing to be mostly at Cal Expo from February to December, this will disrupt the harness racing that takes place there in the winters. Cal Expo is basically in a circuit with Running Aces.

[$w1fT]

Aside from the few good horses at GG, most horses won’t be shipped anywhere. Closing tracks never helps racing as evidenced by declining field size. Most barns will simply shut down operations.

[horsefan2019]

Originally Posted by $w1fT

Aside from the few good horses at GG, most horses won’t be shipped anywhere. Closing tracks never helps racing as evidenced by declining field size. Most barns will simply shut down operations.

Yep, they are basically throwing a huge roadblock to these barns. Are they going to double down their investment to race down in Socal? Unlikely. They will see the writing on the wall and simply close down or move to another state. Sad. In a span of 15 years, you have 3 major race tracks close in the state. Its a death spiral at this point and Del Mar and Santa Anita are just trying to stay afloat.

[Belkster]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

https://twitter.com/racetrackandy/st...00951253106688

I guess The Stronach Group didn't get their profits from Golden Gate. Other than money are there other reasons for the closure?

[Thomas Roulston]

Actually it is Cal Expo (Sacramento) that has a turf course - but that doesn't mean that the other fair circuit tracks can't build them; and unlike at the East Coast tracks, basically none of the races would ever get switched to the main track because of rain.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by castaway01

Per the Jockey Club Fact Book:

In the last 30 years (1992 to 2022), we've gone from 70,000 races a year to 33,000.

And yet, the average field size has gone from 8.62 horses to 7.59.

Why? Because the foal crop has dropped from 35,000 in 1992 to 17,000 last year.

Notice how the number of races and the foal crop have dropped at almost identical rates? Add to that horses racing a lot less frequently than they used to, and you get those field size numbers. It's not rocket science.

Unless you get more people interested in racing and/or breeding horses and/or thinking they can make money racing horses and/or suddenly finding it an interesting way to waste money again, nothing will change.

1. Part the reason for the decline of the foal crop is that for most that get into the game horse ownership is a bottomless pit of losses. To increase demand, owners have to have a reasonable chance at operating a sustainable business. If there were more successful owners, there would be more demand for horses, and breeders would breed more horses.

2. You can't get more people interested in racing unless the industry has the free cash to invest and improve the racetrack experience, improve testing and horse care, make tracks safer, lower the track take, advertise, raise purses to the point that having a successful racing operation is more likely etc.. You can't just flip a switch on any it, especially since without casino money, the economics would be wildly worse.

[Andy Asaro]

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[Robert Fischer]

mildly disconcerting.

once in a while they have a playable race and once in a while a golden-hour dd or p4 is worth playing.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by Thomas Roulston

Actually it is Cal Expo (Sacramento) that has a turf course - but that doesn't mean that the other fair circuit tracks can't build them; and unlike at the East Coast tracks, basically none of the races would ever get switched to the main track because of rain.

Santa Rosa has a turf course, not Sacto, and if there were enough horses to race year round at the fairs, Golden Gate wouldn't be closing.

We already have dumb Los Al meets with high takeouts and tiny fields. What we need to do is consolidate down to 1 circuit. I wish we had done it in 2014 and included GGF in the circuit but that shipped sailed at the behest of horsemen.

[horsefan2019]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

1. Part the reason for the decline of the foal crop is that for most that get into the game horse ownership is a bottomless pit of losses. To increase demand, owners have to have a reasonable chance at operating a sustainable business. If there were more successful owners, there would be more demand for horses, and breeders would breed more horses.

2. You can't get more people interested in racing unless the industry has the free cash to invest and improve the racetrack experience, improve testing and horse care, make tracks safer, lower the track take, advertise, raise purses to the point that having a successful racing operation is more likely etc.. You can't just flip a switch on any it, especially since without casino money, the economics would be wildly worse.

The unfortunate truth is that is a decline in interest in horse racing going back at least 30+ years. They aren't going to breed horses for buyers that aren't there. So unless you get more people interested in the game its a downward spiral. Been going to the races in Socal circuit and you could see a steady decline and quality when they used to have 5 race days a week down to 2 and barely enough horses to fill a race card. You have to wonder how much longer its going to exist at least here in California.