170-year-old horse racing tradition comes to an end for California State Fair
Live thoroughbred horse racing will not return to the California State Fair in 2025, Cal Expo officials announced Friday, ending a tradition that dates back more than 170 years.
“With the closure of Golden Gate Fields in June 2024 and growing uncertainty surrounding racing in Northern California, there are simply no horses available to keep this tradition alive,” said Tom Martinez, Cal Expo’s CEO. “We have explored every possible avenue, but with a heavy heart, we’ve come to the unfortunate decision that it is simply not feasible to continue racing this summer.”
The move follows a series of setbacks for Northern California’s horse racing industry, culminating in the California Authority of Racing Fairs’ decision in December not to apply for racing dates in 2025. That decision also effectively ended racing at the Big Fresno Fair and Alameda County Fair, to name a few. That decision left Cal Expo with few options.
While Cal Expo described its choice as painful, it is in line with a broader decline in the sport across the state. Golden Gate Fields — once the region’s premier track — shut down in June after 83 years amid financial losses and scrutiny over horse safety. The Albany track had long drawn criticism for being the deadliest in the state, with multiple race-related horse deaths reported annually.
At the Big Fresno Fair, at least three horses died last year from race-related injuries, further fueling public debate over animal welfare in the sport, which has been an industry struggle in the state since Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill to temporarily suspend racing licenses in 2019. The move by the Legislature followed a string of thoroughbred deaths at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia.
Beyond safety concerns, the racing industry has struggled with rising operational costs, dwindling attendance and reduced purse prizes. The 2024 Golden State Racing meet in Pleasanton, which was supposed to revive Northern California racing, failed to meet expectations and operated at a loss, according to the Daily Racing Form. Talks for a summer meet at the Alameda County track collapsed earlier in March, the newspaper reported, after investors and Southern California horse caretakers stalled over terms.
Martinez said Cal Expo is exploring new ways to honor its equestrian heritage, which began in 1854 when the State Fair’s first live racing took place in San Francisco.
“This decision marks the end of an era, but it does not erase the memories made on these tracks,” he said.
No decision has been made whether horse racing will return to Sacramento in future years, though the outlook remains uncertain since the last horse races in the region in December at Pleasanton.
The California Horse Racing Board has said it views the current pause as temporary and continues working with industry stakeholders to stabilize the sport statewide, though south state racing was expected to continue at Santa Anita, Del Mar and other larger tracks.
According to the Daily Racing Form, the only likely racing in Northern California this year is expected to happen at the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale around Labor Day. The paper said that Humboldt officials were expected to ask the racing board for dates at its next regulatory meeting April 17.
This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 4:51 PM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the location of Santa Anita Park.
