Golden Gate to close permanently

[Dana666]

Golden Gate to shut down.
Storystory

[Dana666]

Maybe someone can fix the link? I don\'t think it\'s working. They\'re shutting down the end of this year ending major racing in Northern California.

[Fairmount1]

My guess is that TG had to shut down several features on the site in order for the site to get up and running again when it was down for a week or so.  Cut and paste the link and it will work.  Plus most people know how to search out things pretty easy now.  

I had the same thought as the other poster said earlier:  But 1st racing will keep employing Elite (Players)/(Teams) with CRW power to scrap out every cent they can from the average/new/solid players until there is no racing left.  No Gamblers, no fans, no racing.  

And in a few text strings I\'ve told people that last night at Fairmount, two separate trainers told me that they see the future of the game as TJC/HISA/CDI (now Stronach today) eliminating as many small and mid tracks as possible.  

NYRA, Kentucky and Oaklawn seem safe for another decade at least.  Not necessarily much longer than that although possible.  And the small tracks will continue to fall off except a straggler here or there and relic here or there in some states.  Florida I have no idea what will happen.  Tampa seems solid but Gulfstream is another 1st to Exit Production.  California will have Del Mar as a boutique as long as it can but rest will likely be gone in a decade I\'d say.  

Racing continues to show how individual greed corrupts the entire industry.  

Luckily, the backyard still awaits me for 2 trips this summer.  Hope it is still around in 20 plus years in my retirement b/c no clue what I will do if racing is all gone then.

[Roman]

Was at Hawthorne today, the racing was decent and the crowd was decent in size also. There is still hope!

[richiebee]

Fairmount1 Wrote:
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> And in a few text strings I\'ve told people that
> last night at Fairmount, two separate trainers
> told me that they see the future of the game as
> TJC/HISA/CDI (now Stronach today) eliminating as
> many small and mid tracks as possible.  

Add to your alphabet soup the letters \"ESG\". If publicly held CDI runs afoul of
activist shareholders with an ESG agenda CD racing could be \"Singapore Slung\"?

[statuette]

Are you playing the free contest online?

[kencbs]

My 1st reaction is - what took them so long?  I was there a few years ago for SF Mile day, probably their biggest day.  I doubt there were 200 people there.  And most of those were inside watching TV.  Plus it sits right on the bay and right next to a freeway that takes you into SF - perfect site for condos.  Maybe those horses will all move south and create good sized fields again at SA.

[P-Dub]

kencbs Wrote:
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> My 1st reaction is - what took them so long?  I
> was there a few years ago for SF Mile day,
> probably their biggest day.  I doubt there were
> 200 people there.  And most of those were inside
> watching TV.  Plus it sits right on the bay and
> right next to a freeway that takes you into SF -
> perfect site for condos.  Maybe those horses will
> all move south and create good sized fields again
> at SA.

If you\'re going to use attendance as the main reason to shut down tracks, then you can shutter 95% of them.

The combination of betting from home, synthetic surface, and cheap racing are several of reasons they don\'t get many in attendance.

GGF was the starting point for many great jockeys and race callers. Many other greats shipped up, trainers and jockeys, to run in big races.

It was a vibrant scene for decades.

I left the Bay 3 years ago, but the news today still stings. Already made plans to fly up and meet the fellas for one last trip to GGF.  Many great memories there.

This is just the start, many more will follow. The people in charge of racing are some of the scummiest and incompetent in the history of sports.

[Roman]

I am, leading the back of the pack like usual.

[statuette]

I caught the 7 in yesterday's 5th..so there's hope lol

[ajkreider]

Supposedly some of the issue was a new Berkeley ordinance requiring horses to be stabled no more than 10 hours a day and have a minimum amount of space to roam about, etc.