Betting on Golden Gate Fields Horse Racing Returns to OTB on May 14
Golden Gate Fields will resume live horse racing on Thursday, May 14, after receiving provisional approval from the Alameda County Public Health Officer. Live racing was temporarily on April 2, following an order from Alameda County in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Live racing will be conducted under strict protocols and without spectators, to protect the health, safety and welfare of every person and every horse in the Golden Gate Fields community. The protocols are still being finalized with county officials and will be released in the coming days, as will the racing condition book. At this time, there have been no known cases of COVID-19 at Golden Gate Fields.
“We are appreciative of the cooperation we received from the Alameda County Health officials to protect their citizens while providing us the opportunity to protect our community by continuing live racing in Northern California,” said Aidan Butler, Executive Director of California Racing Operations for The Stronach Group.
“The health and safety of every person and every horse continues to be our North Star. As California begins the path to recovery, the best way for us to ensure their safety is to reengage the economic engine that provides for them.”
At Golden Gate Fields, there are over 1,200 horses stabled who require daily care. That care is provided by the 400 backstretch team members, most who live on-site and are operating under stringent new measures for protection aligned with the best guidance from local and international health and government authorities on COVID-19. The track has been closed to the general public and to closed all but essential personnel since March 12, 2020.
Golden Gate Fields will have a mandatory payout in the 20-cent Golden Pick Six, which has a carryover of $398,294 from March 29. The bet covers the fourth through ninth races and may draw $2 million in new money Thursday.
To their advantage, Golden Gate Fields will be the only Thoroughbred track in operation for a large part of the afternoon and early evening in the United States.
The meeting is scheduled to continue through June 14, with racing held largely on a Thursday-through-Sunday basis. The June 14 program is highlighted by the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile, a $250,000 turf race rescheduled from its original date on April 25.
