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…