Last weekend for Golden Gate Fields amid 2 horse deaths
ALBANY, Calif. - Golden Gate Fields is hosting its final horse races this weekend, and while animal rights advocates are pleased, they are upset about another horse death reported on Friday.
"The industry of horse racing is not worth a single moment of cruelty," said Samantha Faye, who rides and trains horses.
Faye's great-grandfather was Albany's mayor when Golden Gate Fields first opened in 1941, participating in the opening ceremonies and winner's circle celebrations.
Although the track has been a key part of her family’s history, Faye said she’s grateful it’s closing on Sunday.
"These horses, while they’re still babies, are overworked, they’re stabled for nearly 24 hours a day, and they are coming off the track traumatized," Faye said. "Here on closing weekend, my thoughts and my heart are with the horses that we weren’t able to save."
On Friday, the track reported its seventh horse fatality this year, a thoroughbred named Sam Spade, after the fictional detective.
"It’s kind of a mystery. We don’t know exactly what’s happened. All we know is that it didn’t happen while he was racing, and he’s an unraced 2-year-old," said Martha Sullivan, an organizer with the group Kill Racing Not Horses.
On Friday afternoon, the California Horse Racing Board reported the track's 8th fatality. A horse named Rude Boy was injured during a race and had to be euthanized, authorities said.
Sullivan says the track’s closure has to do with financial reasons along with pressure from animal advocacy groups.
"I think it’s a combination," Sullivan said. "I think it’s people are less interested in risking and taking horse’s lives just to gamble."
Track general manager David Duggan said, "It’s a sad day, after 83 years, Golden Gate Fields is coming to an end."
Animal activists applaud the closing of Golden Gate Fields
Animal activists are applauding the decision announced over the weekend, that the Stronach Group, which owns Golden Gate Fields, will discontinue horse racing at the East Bay racetrack at the end of the year.
Duggan said the track is consolidating with Santa Anita Park, the racetrack in Southern California. He noted that Friday’s horse death was related to an internal issue with the animal, not racing or training.
"Despite the best efforts of our excellent veterinary team here, we weren’t able to reverse that process that had set in," Duggan said.
Duggan said the track did not give in to animal rights advocates, such as the four who chained themselves together across the track back in 2021.
"That wasn’t a factor in the decision to close," he said.
Horse racing fans are making their final visits.
"It’s been here for 80 years, kind of an end of an era. I think maybe a lot of this is because people are doing mobile betting now. And the last few times I’ve been here the grandstands have been so empty," said Adam Hunnicutt as he visited with his fiancée.
Henry Lee is a KTVU reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan