Collection Guide
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Inventory of the California Horse Racing Board Records
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Table of contents
Title: California Horse Racing Board Records,
Date (inclusive): 1933-1995
Collection number: See series description
Creator:
California Horse Racing Board
Extent:
37 cubic feet.
Repository:
California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Abstract: Established in 1933 the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) regulates authorized California horse races that involve pari-mutuel
betting and protects the public from fraudulent operations.
Physical location: California State Archives.
Language:
English.
Some records restricted per Government Code section 7923.600-7923.625 (formerly Gov. Code section 6254(f)).
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.
[Identification of item], California Horse Racing Board Records, [collection number], California State Archives, Office of
the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.
After standard review of the California Horse Racing Board records the California State Archives acquired these documents
because of their ablity to provide historical information.
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) was established in 1933 as an independent agency. Its creation came as the result
of a constitutional amendment that added Section 25a to Article IV of the Constitution of the State of California. The 1933
amendment required the creation of the CHRB and established its authority over the regulation of horse racing and pari-mutuel
wagering at licensed California racetracks. The Constitutional Revision of 1966 replaced Section 25a with Section 19b of Article
IV of the California Constitution. The CHRB's authority and enforcement practices are derived from the Business and Professions
Code, Chapter 4, Division 8 known as the Horse Racing Law (Stats 1933, ch.436, sections 1-19 p.1127-1137).
The function of the CHRB is to oversee and regulate authorized California horse races that involve pari-mutuel betting and
to protect the public from fraudulent operations. The Board does this by issuing occupational licenses to the horse owners,
jockeys, grooms and veterinarians who work with the horses on race days and the parimutuel operators who collect the bets
on race days. The CHRB has some enforcement capabilities. If any licensee commits an unlawful act, such as injecting a horse
with a banned drug on race day that person can have their license revoked and be required to pay a fine. The Board also investigates
complaints about licensees made by the general public at a race. To support this endeavor, the CHRB employs a division of
field investigators who as California Peace Officers enforce and investigate such violations at member racetracks throughout
the state.
Besides the field investigators, the CHRB also employs stewards who are in charge of the daily operations at racetracks. They
are responsible for ensuring that horse trainers and jockeys are aware of race times, that violations of the CHRB and member
racetracks' rules are not being committed, and that any violators are ejected from the tracks. The Board appoints the stewards
to their positions.
The CHRB is made up of seven members who are appointed by the Governor and serve for a period of four years. Members are often
well acquainted with horse racing in California. The CHRB also acts as a liaison with other states' horse racing boards or
commissions and help facilitate off track pari-mutuel wagering with other racetracks out of state through satellite wagering.
The CHRB also has several committees, which oversee the varied duties of the Board. One such committee, is the steward's committee,
is made of stewards and Board members to act on complaints and concerns of the stewards
Files kept by the California Horse Racing Board include detailed meeting minutes, correspondence, annual statistical reports,
and information on horse racing tracks. Also included are the transcripts of hearings on the illegal activities of jockeys,
trainers, horse owners, and track officials. Some informative and commemorative pamphlets produced for individual horse racing
tracks can also be found in the collection.
Related Materials at the California State Archives
Other records series concerning the California Horse Racing Board can be found in the card catalog subject files under Horse
Racing. The California State Archives also has unprocessed records created by the California Horse Racing Board. Unprocessed
materials are identified by accession numbers: 2000-09-17, 2002-079, 2004-027.
The collection is organized into nine series: Satellite Facilities Minutes, Correspondence, Publicity Files, Investigation
Files, Board Meeting Minutes, Transcripts, Meeting Files,Advisory Committee Files, and Reports.
The following terms have been associated with these materials in the Archives'
automated public access system (currently in development, December 2004).
California Horse Racing Board.
Horse racing--Rules.
Racetracks--Horse racing.
Horse racing--Betting--Law and legislation.