CHRB Approves Menu of Summer Dates

By T.D. Thornton 

On Thursday the California Horse Racing Board approved upcoming racing dates at four tracks that extend through Labor Day, but not before several of the meet applicants–Los Alamitos Race Course and Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, specifically–were grilled about finances, marketing initiatives and stabling issues. 

Thoroughbred meets at Los Alamitos (July 2-12), the California Exposition and State Fair at Sacramento (July 10-26), Del Mar (July 16-Sept 7) and Sonoma County Fair at Santa Rosa (July 30-Aug 16) were all unanimously approved pending the filing of routine paperwork such as fire inspections, bond deliverances and horsemen’s association contracts.

But prior to voting on the Los Alamitos license, CHRB member Madeline Auerbach wanted an explanation as to why the applicant, which she described as being in a “deficit situation,” was budgeting a “very generous” $350,000 for the July 4 GII Los Alamitos Derby, instead of, say, $250,000. 

“I don’t believe we could have attracted the same horses for $250,000,” said Brad McKenzie, speaking on behalf of Los Alamitos Racing Association. “It would have affected our graded status. We’re hoping to make this race a Grade I….It is highly competitive for these types of horses. This race is the centerpiece of our racing.” 

McKenzie continued, “We’ve been out of sight for six months. We ran a meet in December, now we’re coming back in July for eight days. I don’t have the luxury of getting into a meet and just letting it build. If we don’t get [the bettors’] attention the first weekend, we’re done. So we need a race that not only locally, but nationally, lets people know that Los Alamitos is back.” 

Auerbach next wanted to know if Los Alamitos had moved forward with any of the backstretch security enhancements the CHRB had suggested to all licensees at previous meetings. Several other board members echoed the sentiment that the CHRB had made those suggestions with the hope that the tracks and the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) would partner to voluntarily beef up security so the CHRB would not have to mandate new rules. 

“To answer your question bluntly, we have not implemented anything. We have not placed security cameras in the barn areas,” McKenzie said. 

Joe Morris, president of the TOC, stepped up to clarify that “the TOC is still committing dollars to [a security plan], and we’re just starting here and moving forward with it.” 

McKenzie, who seemed to bristle at Auebach’s line of questioning, then spoke to the broader question of financial matters at Los Alamitos. 

“[The California] industry is still trying to find its equilibrium after the closing of Hollywood Park–where do these dates go and what’s the best way for the industry to move forward?” McKenzie asked rhetorically. “Right now this is what we’ve got and we’re trying to make the best of it…Last year we knew that we were going to be overpaid for the year. We didn’t feel we had a choice…We realized that was a price we had to pay to get these meets off to as good a start as possible…When you’re in this competitive a market, you have to offer purses that attract horses. When you have an eight-day meet in between Santa Anita and Del Mar, if you just run [lower quality] races, you’re going to get bypassed.” 
Auerbach countered, “I hear you, and it’s not just a price you pay, it’s a price we all pay when these things happen.” 
When Del Mar’s application came up for discussion, Alan Balch, executive director of the California Thoroughbred Trainers, told the CHRB that his organization had not yet signed its contract with Del Mar over stabling concerns, which he described as “the elephant in the room.” 

Balch said that issues such as overcrowding at Del Mar and the lack of information about whether stabling would remain open at Santa Anita Park, Los Alamitos and elsewhere during the Del Mar meet “results in the horsemen being held hostage” about planning when and where to race. Another factor in play was the CHRB’s tabling of an agenda item over whether race dates on Sept. 26 and 27 would be transferred from Santa Anita to Los Alamitos. 

Balch acknowledged that the situation wasn’t entirely Del Mar’s fault or responsibility, but backed off of his planned request for the CHRB to mediate the affair when CHRB officials stepped in to explain that they were already working toward progress to resolve the issue. 

“We’re very concerned that late in June is not only pushing the envelope [for decisions on stabling and race dates], but breaking the envelope,” Balch said. “Everybody needs to know what the situation is going to be going forward, especially [with Del Mar being] our showcase meeting.” 

Tom Robbins, Del Mar’s executive vice president of racing and industry relations, updated the CHRB on the changeover to dirt from a synthetic surface on the main track and the progress of second-season growth on the turf course. 
“The often-mentioned El Segundo sand is the same material that we have at Santa Anita,” Robbins said. He added that the main track conversion was completed in April, and that for the first time in the track’s history, 150 Thoroughbreds began training at Del Mar in the month of May. 

As for the turf course, Robbins said, “We have one more year of maturity under our belt. The new course is moving along beautifully. We’re out there almost every day and it’s very, very good at this point.” With a new watering and aeration system, he said, “we’re getting to the point where it [will be] in optimum shape for opening day.” 

Given the drought conditions in California, Robbins said Del Mar is using reclaimed water for all main track and turf course hydration. 

In other news, CHRB executive director Rick Baedeker reported the CHRB has been authorized to augment its budget by up to $1.2 million for contracted testing with the Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory to avoid a cut in services for the new fiscal year that begins July 1. 

And in a personnel switch, jockey Alex Solis has been appointed to the CHRB, replacing first vice chair Bo Derek, who resigned to pursue other business opportunities after serving nearly seven years. According to the CHRB, it the first time a current or former jockey has ever been appointed to the board.