Santa Anita Park is looking to renovate the Chandelier Room, which is part of Turf Club. It would be gutted and turned into a "night club." The Chandelier Room has been around since the race track opened on Christmas Day, 1934 (probably not true, according to Sandy Snider). Its giant chandeliers were imported from Versailles in France.
If Santa Anita Park race track and other tracks cannot successfully compete with the just instituted state lottery that results from the passage of Proposition 37, the horse racing industry may go to Sacramento to seek tax relief, according to Robert Strub, president of the Los Angeles Turf Club.
Three men in business suits standing in front of grandstand at Santa Anita Park. They are, L-R: Dr. Charles H. Strub, long time Vice-President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Turf Club and credited with founding of Santa Anita Park; Gwynn Wilson, Treasurer and Assistant General Manager, and Robert P. Strub, manager of operations and later to become head of the Corporation. They are looking at antique column sundial installed in 1956 in center of walking ring.
Summary of a vintage promotional booklet about Santa Anita Park havings its inaugural race on Christmas Day, December 25, 1934. At the time, Los Angeles Turf Club Inc. was the owner and operator of Santa Anita Park and there were 53 racing days that first season. Charter stockholder and membership requirements are discussed.
Aerial view looking west across Santa Anita Park from a position about Santa Anita Avenue just north of Huntington Drive. In the upper right portion of the photo can be seen the extensive earthwork done for the track Anita Baldwin and Joe Smoot planned to build. That vast area now is entirely built with homes and apartments and is called Santa Anita Village. Present-day Baldwin Avenue would follow the line shown by the Ranch Road bisecting the photo from right to left just east of the track abandoned by Anita Baldwin and Joe Smoot.
Anita Baldwin and Joe Smoot, developer of Hilejea Park, Florida, prepare to turn ceremonial spadeful of soil for their projected race track. Anita has white hat and dress; Smoot is in double breasted suit.
Los Angeles Turf Club, Inc. Santa Anita Park – Press Books/Yearbooks/Media Guides.
1940/41 – 1985/86 (Incomplete); 1984 Equestrian Yearbook from the XXIIIrd Olympic Games. Includes "Golden Anniversary Yearbook, Santa Anita 1934-1935 through 1984-1985, 50 years."
Los Angeles Turf Club, Inc. Santa Anita Park – Press Books/Yearbooks/Media Guides.
1940/41 – 1985/86 (Incomplete); 1984 Equestrian Yearbook from the XXIIIrd Olympic Games. Includes "Golden Anniversary Yearbook, Santa Anita 1934-1935 through 1984-1985, 50 years."
Michillinda Avenue is street running parallel to left edge of photo. Santa Anita Avenue is close to right edge of photo. Four tracks are in view. Left to right they would be: 1. Training track used by Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin, 2. Aborted L. A. Jockey Club Track project of Anita Baldwin and Joe Smoot in 1933, 3. Small training track belonging to Santa Anita Park Race Track, and 4. Main track and grandstand of Santa Anita Park. Arcadia County Park is seen in lower right portion of photo.
A multi-million dollar remodeling at Santa Anita Park will include a restoration of the Chandelier Room to its former glamour. The room is nearly 80 years old (probably not true, according to Sandy Snider), and is the most popular event venue at the track. Other portions of the grandstand will be renovated and will remain true to the architectural and design style of the Art Deco period that originally inspired it.
Aerial view. Looking east. Street along right edge of photo which is lined with trees is Duarte Road. Santa Anita Avenue cuts across photo from right to left and up into the San Gabriel Mountains. Huntington Drive can be seen in center of photo with young trees planted on north side of it. Santa Anita Race Track is one furthest from camera. The next small track is a training track belonging to Santa Anita. There is a VERY small round track across the street from the training track, which was part of a private horse stables. The incompleted oval was part of work done in 1933 by Joe Smoot and Anita Baldwin in their effort to develop the Jockey Club Track. This photo belongs to the Huntington Library. It is shown here for research only.
In this aerial view looking toward the east, the oval directly in the center of photo was a training track belonging to Santa Anita. This was removed to make room for the Fashion Park mall. The small circular track across what is now Baldwin Avenue and the oval track farther south belonged to a private riding stable. The remains of the Los Angeles Jockey Club Track which Joe Smoot and Anita Baldwin started but did not complete in 1933, can be seen in lower right corner. This photo belongs to the Huntington Library. It is shown here for research only.
Another view of "Smoot Hole" before cleaning up and just before subdividing for El Rancho Village. The name Smoot Hole came from aborted effort of Joe Smoot and Anita Baldwin to get race track built in about this location.
Hidden away just north of Arcadia's Santa Anita golf course parking lot are the Santa Anita Greens, which provide a wide range of activities for 139 men and women in the Bowling Green Club.
Last week the Pomona Lawn Bowling Club welcomed the Santa Anita Bowling Green Club for a rare visitation match. Pomona's club is seeking more members to play this fun outdoor sport.
