This leaves a gaping hole in the top of the jockey standings which are likely to see filled by Juan Hernandez or an aging John Velazquez. While the colony was strong in the early to mid 2000s there has been a precipitous drop off in the quality of riders.Ī major blow was dealt to the already top heavy jockey colony this year when it was announced that both Umberto Rispoli and leading rider Flavien Prat would both be moving their tack to the east coast. Jockeys like Bill Shoemaker and Russell Baze called California home. The west coast was once home to the most prestigious jockey colonies in America. However, they too have started to look for greener pastures. Connections Exodusĭespite the troubles in California, they still had the advantages of big name trainers and jockeys. While the tracks have taken dramatic measures to improve equine safety, including enhanced vet scrutiny and a prolonged closure of the downhill turf course at Santa Anita, the circuit has never quite been able to shake the public perception.ĭespite massive drop offs in equine fatalities, deaths like the recent passing of Medina Spirit only fuel those who wish to further the narrative that racing does not care about its athletes. Once again the state saw a death toll over 200. The high water mark was set in 2011 when 278 horses passed on track while racing or training. Unfortunately another major issue plaguing California horse racing in particular was the extreme number of horse fatalities over the course of the 2010s. Some have pointed out that horses at Golden Gate for example are often too far below those at Santa Anita, but the reality is that there are only so many horses to go around and the result is not good for field size which can frequently be 5 horses before scratches. The result is often the cannibalization of California tracks competing for similar horse populations.
The same applies to trainers who have an interest in shipping in from other jurisdictions. Those that do are often forced to use expensive airplane transport. With very few tracks west of the Rocky Mountains, trainers don’t have many options for shipping their horses to other tracks. One of the perks of racing on the east coast or in the midwest is the fact that trainers can find the right conditions at another track in the area and easily van their horses to the proper race.Ĭalifornia horse racing however, is largely isolated geographically. One of the major issues has less to do with the racing industry and more to do with geography. Some of these issues are specific to the state while others are universal across many of the tracks across the country. In each of the last 4 years a California based horse has crossed the wire first in the Kentucky Derby.ĭespite the rich history of California horse racing there have been some major issues plaguing the circuit in recent years.Hollywood Park hosted the initial Breeders’ Cup in 1984.Hollywood Park was the first to offer the Exacta wager in the 1970s.Citation became the first horse ever to win $1 million when he won the 1951 Hollywood Gold Cup.Bay Meadows saw the first ever horse travel by plane in 1945.The first electric starting gate was used at Bay Meadows.SoFi Stadium sits where the now defunct Hollywood Park race track used to be. Historic Feats in California Horse RacingĪlong with the inclusion of a photo finish camera, California racing has been the home to several historic feats. The momentum would continue through the 40s with the opening of Golden Gate Fields. Late in the 30s horse racing went Hollywood as Bing Crosby got heavily involved in the state’s newest track, Del Mar. At Santa Anita they even introduced the first use of photo finish cameras in 1934. Tracks like Bay Meadows, Fairplex Park, and Santa Anita took advantage of the new laws and quickly built tracks that drew thousands of fans. The Rise of California Horse Racing Bing Crosby was one of many who brought horse racing to Hollywood.Ĭalifornia horse racing started with the legalization of betting in the 1930s. With Mullins and Prat news, the situation is turning dire. California horse racing was once considered one of the most prestigious circuits in America.