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The 2024 Ferndale horse races are less than a month away and this year’s schedule has been expanded to include three weekends of racing.

The action gets under way on Friday, Aug. 23 and won’t conclude until Sept. 8, with a total of eight days of racing scheduled.

The first two weekends of racing will coincide as usual with the Humboldt County Fair, which starts a little later than normal this year and runs from Aug. 21 to Labor Day on Sept. 2, with three days of racing action on both weekends.

The third weekend of racing action will take place over two days on Sept. 7 and 8.

This year’s races also include the richest horse race in the storied 128-year history of the fair, with the $50,000 C.J. Hindley-Humboldt County Marathon set for the final day of action.

In addition to the 70th edition of the Humboldt Marathon, this year’s schedule also includes the $20,000 Cream City Dash for quarter horses, plus a quintet of $25,000 overnight allowance races for thoroughbreds.

Race officials are describing it as “Ferndale’s most ambitious racing schedule ever.”

“There will be a record amount of money in purses up for grabs that we hope attracts and boosts both the quality and quantity of horses on hand for this year’s race meet,” Humboldt racing secretary Tom Doutrich said.

The Humboldt Marathon had its original running in 1955 and has been Ferndale’s marquee race ever since. 

According to race officials, “while it does not have the history of Humboldt County’s famed Redwood trees, its stature on the NorCal fair circuit makes the Marathon a treasured prize to capture.”

A total of $30,000 (from the $50,000 purse) will go to the winning owner.