Stanislaus County Fair announces deal to keep Turlock Turf Club open

Local horse players hit the exacta on Thursday with word that the Turlock Turf Club will remain open for business, at least for now.

Stanislaus County Fair officials announced that the Turf Club will be rented to Northern California Off Track Inc., which will run the satellite horse racing facility.

“We are excited to find a way to continue the operations of the Turf Club for another few weeks and are committed to finding a way to keep horse wagering in Turlock on a permanent basis,” said Matt Cranford, chief operating officer for the Stanislaus County Fair.

As The Modesto Bee reported last year, the club’s future has been in jeopardy because the Stanislaus County Fair was losing money on it, then-CEO Chris Borovansky said.

The Turlock Turf Club handled $6.5 million in betting in 2014.

According to the fair’s website, up to six tracks per day are broadcast live via satellite at the club featuring racing from selected county fairs every June through October. In addition, it broadcasts races year-round from famous tracks thoughout the United States.

The big races attract the most people to the facility; the next-nearest off-track betting facility is in Stockton. In June 2015, a large crowd was on hand to cheer American Pharoah to victory in the Belmont Stakes as the horse became the first to win racing’s Triple Crown in 37 years.

The recently reached rental agreement will ensure the Turlock Turf Club remains open through at least Oct. 2, fair spokeswoman Adrenna Alkhas said. In the meantime, fair officials will work on developing a more permanent plan.

This story was originally published September 1, 2016 at 11:14 AM with the headline "Stanislaus County Fair announces deal to keep Turlock Turf Club open."