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.
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.
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.
New season began at Santa Anita Park on December 26. This season's opening day drew 41,000 fans, a significant increase over last year's turnout and a morale boost for the iconic venue that has been protected by National Registry of Historic Sites since 2006. In order to appeal to a younger crowd, the clubhouse space has been reconfigured, and the strictly reinforced dress code of yesteryear has been eliminated, along with the private Turf Club--now called Turf Terrace and is open to the public. The decor of the Chandelier Room has gone mid-century modern and the Directors' Room can be rented out for private parties. Gene Simmons of rock band KISS is a marketing advisor and the new management policy seems to be "anything goes." (Photos)
Dr. Charles H. Strub brought horse racing back to Arcadia. After the state made it legal again in 1930, Anita Baldwin tried to revive her father, Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin's dream of a Santa Anita Racetrack. She worked with Joe Smoot but he couldn't achieve this, even though Arcadia City Council licensed his Santa Anita Jockey Club. San Francisco dentist Charles H. Strub (pronounced Stroob), owner of the San Francisco Seals baseball team, got a license for the Los Angeles Turf Club and founded Santa Anita Park with Hal Roach and other promoters. The track was designed by Gordon Kaufman and opened December 25, 1934.
Actress and model Bo Derek has photographed jockey Chantal Sutherland nude, inside Santa Anita Park's elegant Turf Club Chandelier Room, for June's Vanity Fair magazine.
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."
Air quality concerns were raised by track employees over fumes and breathable fibers being emitted by the artificial track known as the Cushion Track, which was treated for drainage problems by Pro-Ride Racing in late August. Cal/OSHA hired Colin Young, a certified industrial hygienist to study health risks posed by the track. Young will recommend the artificial race track poses "absolutely no health risks."
A judge has disqualified the Los Angeles law firm Latham and Watkins from representing mall owner Westfield Group in its ongoing battle with developer Rick Caruso because Latham and Watkins had represented the Los Angeles Turf Club on an earlier development project in 1999-2000.
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.
View of Santa Anita Race Track and Grandstand looking west. There are twelve horses and riders racing and the grandstand appears to be nearly full. (Date is disputed to be after 1955, not 1950, per researcher race track historian Leonard Wynne, who says the inner track part, known as the "Turf Course" was put in during 1955. The inner track part is not where the horses are seen running.)
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.
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.
The City Council agreed that private karaoke rooms, which have been associated with criminal activity in the area, should be barred from the city. The proposed ordinance, which will be considered August 3rd, would allow alcohol in restaurants with karaoke.
