In the wake of Stronach’s bombshell Sunday that it is closing Golden Gate Fields for good this December, the Northern Cal racers are, obviously, in serious handwringing mode. Desperate times. Yesterday, the Thoroughbred Daily News published an interview with California Horse Racing Board Chairman Greg Ferraro. My favorite exchange:

TDN:
“What do you see when you plot California racing’s future – especially a likely future without Los Alamitos?”

Ferraro:
“It’s a concern to us. I mean, Los Alamitos is probably short-lived. If something happened to Doc Allred [Los Al owner], I think that would be the end of Los Alamitos. That leads to Santa Anita and Del Mar. And given the value of Santa Anita’s property and The Stronach Group’s performance so far, you wonder how long Santa Anita could survive. So yes, the CHRB is quite concerned about the continued viability of California racing.”

Maybe we won’t need a referendum after all. But seriously, this is no time to grow complacent. Unrelenting pressure from the activist community is more critical than ever. Let them know we will not rest until that last betting window is shuttered.

If practical, please consider joining protests at Del Mar or Cal Expo