George Schmitt, a prominent Thoroughbred owner and breeder, said last week that he plans to approach the California Horse Racing Board in November with a request to conduct fair meetings at as many as five venues in 2026, including a track in Red Bluff, north of Sacramento, used in past years for unsanctioned races.
The proposal, which Schmitt said he was in the process of finalizing, is designed to revive racing in that part of the state for the first time since December. No fair racing was held in Northern California this year after the racing board rejected proposals from Schmitt, and other backers, to conduct meetings at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale, and the Big Fresno Fair. The proposals were rejected by the board at three consecutive meetings from April to June.
Schmitt said he hopes fair racing can be held in 2026 at Ferndale, Fresno, Red Bluff, Pleasanton, and at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa. The circuit would begin on the first weekend of May, coinciding with the four-day Tehama County Fair in Red Bluff, and continue with summer meetings at Pleasanton, Santa Rosa, and Ferndale before a fall meeting at Fresno.
Schmitt acknowledged that the timeline to complete the application process for a race meeting at Red Bluff will be difficult. Red Bluff is not a licensed pari-mutuel venue and would need upgrades to meet racing board and Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority standards.
ON SALE NOW: DRF Breeders' Cup Packages! Get everything you need to win and save big.
The racing board awarded dates for the Southern California circuit of Del Mar, Los Alamitos, and Santa Anita at its monthly meeting on Oct. 16. Schmitt made a brief presentation at the end of the meeting, indicating that he planned to approach the racing board at its next meeting on Nov. 19 with a formal plan for dates in Northern California.
If approved in November, Schmitt is likely to be back before the board in the following months to seek a license to conduct a meeting at Red Bluff, which has a half-mile track.
There is a strong likelihood that Schmitt’s plan will be opposed by the Thoroughbred Owners of California, executives from some Southern California racetracks, and members of the board.
The TOC and southern track officials have implemented a one-circuit format in California this year, with racing at Del Mar, Los Alamitos, and Santa Anita. No other venues currently operate in the state.
Purses at Southern California tracks were increased earlier this year when simulcast and account-wagering revenue from Northern California bettors was redirected to southern tracks and to horsemen through purses.
If Schmitt’s plan goes forward, simulcast and account-wagering revenue generated from Northern California bettors would remain in that part of the state and could affect purse levels at southern tracks. California tracks generate purses only from handle and do not have a second form of revenue, such as slot machines or casinos, to help purses. Such ancillary revenue sources are prominent at a majority of states throughout the country.
Schmitt said in an interview that the proposed Northern California circuit is financed.
“I’m not worried about the money right now,” he said. “We have put together a program."
Schmitt said that by forming a plan this winter to resume racing in Northern California that owners and trainers will have ample time to prepare horses for the circuit. Since the closure of Pleasanton last winter, runners from Northern California have scattered to a variety of tracks, notably in Southern California, Washington State, and Wyoming.
Schmitt said the forthcoming meeting at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, which begins on Nov. 10, may also draw horses away from California.
The proposed Red Bluff meeting could be two or three days per week into mid-May, depending on horse availability.
“If we have enough horses, we’ll run three days,” he said. “If we don’t, we’ll run two days. We’d like to run three days.
“The horses will come down from Oregon. We’ve talked to people up there.
“We’ll do things to incentivize people to come up from Southern California. We’ll get that thing done.”
Red Bluff has 250 stalls and can add 150 more stalls, Schmitt said. He said he plans meetings with trainers to inform them of developments.
The Northern California circuit was devastated by the closure of Golden Gate Fields in Albany, in the Bay Area, in June 2024. Fair meetings were held later that summer and fall at Pleasanton, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Ferndale, and Fresno before Pleasanton hosted a fall meeting that failed to draw sufficient business. Plans for a meeting earlier this year at Pleasanton were abandoned last December.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.