On Wednesday, Nov. 19, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) unanimously approved the dates requested by Watch and Wager LLC to bring live harness racing back to The Golden State.

Standardbreds lost their previous home in Sacramento when the California Exposition & State Fair Board voted to end the lease agreement with Watch and Wager this past April.

Fresno is centrally located in California between the Pacific Ocean and Nevada. With a one-mile track, The Big Fresno Fair hosted a small Thoroughbred meet in recent years, with a history of horse racing that dates back to 1883. Fresno hasn't hosted harness racing in nearly a century.

That's about change in 2026, with the CHRB approving 38 race dates in a 2026-2027 meet at Fresno that is slated to start on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026 with Saturday cards through the month of December, then adding Sundays in January 2027 through to May 1, 2027.

"I visited Fresno a couple months ago with Ben [Kenney] and Chris [Schick] from Watch And Wager. The track and property is amazing, basically turn key for us to start," Jim Perez, the Executive Director of the California Harness Horseman's Association, told Trot Insider late Wednesday. "The Fresno fair board was very welcoming and seemed very interested in harness racing. Since then, they have come to an agreement with Watch And Wager and have negotiated a contract so from that perspective it’s a done deal. Today, the CHRB voted unanimously to approve the dates so everything looks good and we’re moving forward. 

"California harness racing is like a melting pot as we get horsemen from all over the country and Canada. California has always been a great mix of horsemen and Canadian horsemen are a big part of our program."

Unlike Cal Expo, the track at Fresno does not have a lighting system so races would need to be conducted during daylight hours. But that doesn't appear to be an issue for the horsepeople or the hosts.

"Fresno and the Central Valley have a deep love for horse racing, consistently demonstrated by strong attendance and enthusiastic community support," said Big Fresno Fair Board President Gary Chahil in a statement read by Watch And Wager's Chris Schick at Wednesday's meeting. "The Big Fresno Fair management team and board of directors remain fully committed to preserving live horse racing and maximizing the use of our beautiful track and historic grandstand, a priority strongly backed by elected officials and the entire community.

"Watch And Wager enjoyed an outstanding and successful 13-year run operating racing at Cal Expo, building a loyal fan base, and delivering a high quality racing and entertainment product. We are excited to welcome Watch And Wager to Fresno as their new home, bringing harness back to the Central Valley for the first time in nearly 100 years and ensuring continued live racing at the Fresno Fairgrounds for years to come."

That optimism was echoed by Robin Clements of the California Standardbred Sires Stakes Committee.

"We were happy to hear that the CHRB voted unanimously to approve the dates for the Fresno Fair racetrack today," Clements told Trot Insider. "Our committee looks forward to working with Watch And Wager and Chris Schick to build a program with the Sires Stakes that will benefit both the Sires Stakes program and the Watch And Wager meet.

"Before Cal Expo terminated our contract, our Sires Stakes program was looking at about 120 yearlings to nominate into the Sires Stakes. After talking with several horsemen both from California, Minnesota, Iowa and Alberta, we do see a lot of support and horsemen looking forward to returning to California to race."

(Standardbred Canada)