Sonoma County Fair’s horse racing schedule still up in the air

Sonoma County Fair officials, who are battling efforts to move their 2017 horse racing dates entirely into August, will have to wait at least another month for a decision.

The state Horse Racing Board was unable to reach a decision Thursday on next year’s racing schedule for Northern California fairs, including Sonoma County’s.

Sonoma County Fair officials say that moving races into August would create a conflict between the fair, carnival and school schedules and exacerbate wagering declines at the Santa Rosa track.

A committee of the state Horse Racing Board earlier this month recommended the races next year in Santa Rosa take place from Aug. 4 to 20.

But the seven-member state board only had four members present Thursday, requiring a unanimous vote to adopt the recommended 2017 race schedule, rather than the 3-1 tally that failed.

As a result, the matter will have to wait until the board can take it up again at its next meeting on Nov. 17.

Both this year and last, the Sonoma County Fair was given race dates resulting in the fair starting without horse racing and ending with a week of racing after the fair concluded.

The result was a decline in attendance and wagering at the track.

Fair officials say the horse race dates need to be aligned with the fair schedule and the fair schedule kept away from the school year, to accommodate youngsters who exhibit animals.

“We will be going back next month, making the same claims, making the same fight and keeping our fingers crossed,” Fair CEO Rebecca Bartling said Thursday.