Horse racing at the Humboldt County Fair. Photo: Redwood Coast, via Flickr. Creative Commons license.

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For the second year in a row, the California Horse Racing Board has rejected a proposal to grant racing dates at two Northern California fairs — the Tehama District Fair and the Humboldt County Fair — effectively ending hopes of live horse racing returning to Ferndale this year.

At the end of a nearly three-hour meeting, which focused on financial struggles in the state’s racing industry, the board voted 4-2 to reject the NorCal dates. Several board members argued that Southern California racing needs all available revenue, especially from wagering, to remain competitive with wealthier jurisdictions such as Kentucky and New York.

CHRB Chairman Greg Ferraro had harsh words for the financial prospects of bringing the ponies and jockeys up to our end of the state.

“As much as I would like to see them do well, they have no chance for success,” he said, referring to the Humboldt and Tehama venues. “There is just no market for them up there. So, you’re going to end up destroying all of racing in California to bet on a no-chance situation in the north.”

The L.A. Times story linked above also quotes prominent owner and breeder Terry Lovinger as pooh-poohing Humboldt and Tehema: “We’re better off as breeders if you don’t do these dates,” he said. “We are a purse-driven industry and a breeder’s worth is determined by those purses. So, by granting these dates you are going to lower to everyone what they would get.”

The Humboldt County Fair Association could not immediately be reached for comment. 

Industry website Paulick Report notes that our local horse racing venue did have its defenders:

The Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale has been a mainstay of the Northern California fair circuit for more than 100 years, and its application included letters of support from U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, state Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire among other California elected officials, and celebrity chef Guy Fieri, who described himself as a “son of Humboldt County” who said the fair “holds a very special place in my heart.”

The fair association board had applied for a 12 day meet to run from Aug. 5-Sept. 1.