‘It’s the End of an Era’: Historic Racetrack Staring at an Immediate Shutdown to Provide “Expanded Wagering Opportunities”

Life is all about making some harsh decisions for the betterment of a clear future. One such decision was made by a major equestrian racetrack to suspend its services for the upcoming months. Months after an equestrian center was closed permanently in Wales, this news is taking horseracing fans by storm. According to the racetrack owners, the decision was never easy to make, but for the sake of their future, they have to take this step and will be looking for some alternative opportunities.

Golden Gate Fields, the horseracing track in Northern California, is calling it a day permanently, and they will be discontinuing their services by the end of 2023 after the final race meet.

Northern California Loses Major Horseracing Track

As reported by ABC 7 news, Golden Gate Fields is closing both of its centers, located in Berkley and Albany. This is a big blow for them and for the fans, as they have been operating in the area since 1941. The reason for the closure has not been specified by the Stronach group, which owns the place. But there are speculations that animal rights activists have been unhappy with the place for a while now and have expressed their delight at the news. These activists were constantly raising their voices against the center, as several horses have died there, including eight this year.

This will also leave Northern California without a major horseracing track, which is a setback for the local community. In an official announcement of the closure, the owning group stated, “The Stronach Group today announced it will double down on its prestigious racing and training venues at Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs by closing Golden Gate Fields at the end of the 2023 racing meet.” It is pretty much clear from this statement that they will be working on their other centers.

Future and the Legacy of This Equestrian Center

After their services are put on hold permanently at the end of this year, the future of the stables, horses, and trainers is ambiguous, as there is no certainty that all of them will be transferred to the centers in Southern California.

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This place holds a vast history of some great equestrian events and races, as the retired hall of famer Russell Baze won his 10,000th race at this track in 2008. Not only this, the track was also a part of Eddy Murphy’s 1997 movie Metro which was released in 1997, and has also been featured in the book On The Road.” 

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