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I mentioned right after the passing of Randy Isaacs — the beloved former Foothill High basketball coach — that the school was going to name the Falcons’ main court after Isaacs.
This Monday (June 10) that became a reality when the court was dedicated to Isaacs in front of family and friends, including his wife Karen and daughter Allyson.
Soon after Isaacs died unexpectedly on April 6, there was a plan in place to dedicate the basketball court in Tom Hansen Gymnasium to Isaacs, along with a favorite saying of Isaacs.
The finished product is Randy Isaacs Court with the saying “How great was that” underneath.
Foothill principal Sebastian Bull took the proposal and ran with it, pushing it through all the necessary channels to get it done within two months.
“It was an easy choice,” Bull said. “Everything came together quick and we were able to get done quick. I think it’s a great tribute to a great person.
Horse racing at Alameda County Fair
The 13-day Alameda County Fair horse racing begins this Friday (June 14), with the final day of racing locked in for Sunday, July 7.
There will be a different vibe this year as this meet is not the only time you will be able to see live horse racing in Pleasanton in 2024. With Golden Gate Fields now closed, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) awarded the fall racing dates previously held by GGF to Pleasanton.
That means there will be horse racing in Pleasanton from October (following the Big Fresno Fair) into December. By that point, the CHRB should have awarded the winter/spring meet dates to Pleasanton as well, meaning there will be racing from January to the beginning of the fair in 2025.
More about that down the line — it’s fair time now, and that means plenty of fun at the races!
The races will run every Friday to Sunday of the fair as well as Thursday, July 4. Post time is set for 1:45 p.m.
I will be back in my role as the host for the Daily Handicapping Seminar that starts at 12:30 p.m. each day. I will be joined once again by co-host Andrew Champagne, a well-followed social media handicapper and one of the top handicappers for summer racing at Saratoga in upstate New York in Saratoga Springs.
Each day we break down the day’s races, giving our choices and why we like the horses we do. It’s always an interactive event where we take questions throughout.
There are six stakes’ races scheduled for the meet, with the big day coming on Sunday, July 7.
That day will see the running of the Everett Nevin — a race for 2-year-olds for $50,000. Later in the card July 7 will be the second running of The Pleasanton Mile for a purse of $150,000. Last year in the debut running, the race was the richest in the United States on that day.
The other stakes are the Mary Clare Schmitt Pleasanton Oaks (Saturday, June 15), the She’s A Tiger (Saturday, June 22), the Oak Tree Sprint (Saturday, June 29) and the Jack Robinson Handicap (Thursday, July 4).
There will also be peripheral events with the races. Opening day features a traditional T-shirt giveaway while supplies last.
June 22 will be the Brew Fest that takes place in the grandstand at the races. The Wine Fest is set for June 29, also taking place throughout the grandstand.
On June 23 there will be Corgi races scheduled on the track. Finally, there will be a T-shirt giveaway on July 7, while supplies last.
Each night, except for July 4, there will be a drone shown at the track at 9:30 p.m. Having seen the show last year, this is a must-see event! There will also be fireworks along with the drone shows this Friday and June 28.
There are two reserved dining options — the open-air Trackside Terrace and the climate-controlled Sky Lounge. Go to annual.alamedacountyfair.com for more information or to buy tickets for one of the festivals or reserved dining experiences.
Editor’s note: Dennis Miller is a contributing sports writer for Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. To contact him about his Pleasanton Preps column, email acesmag@aol.com.
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