About ten thoroughbreds and jockeys, round turn toward finish of a race at Santa Anita Park. San Gabriel Mountains loom up behind. One can tell that this is early years of the track because of the dust kicked up by horses. Later, track was completely excavated and new improved mixture was put in place.
Aerial view due south from a position almost directly over sharp curve of Colorado Street. Showing in this photo are the Track and Club House on a day of large attendance, the stables, and a training track. All along Huntington Drive and Colorado Street young trees have been planted. Old-time resident Reid Greer says that the large tree at the very left edge of photo about 2 1/2 in. from bottom is same tree as seen in photo #654, on flat ground just below knolls seen here, and therefore he places homes of Indians on ranch at this spot. E.J."Lucky" Baldwin winery is only building seen on knoll. There is an "x" on reverse side to mark location. This photo belongs to the Huntington Library. It is shown here for research only.
Aerial view from east looking west over Santa Anita Race Track shortly after its opening. Baldwin Avenue shows just faintly as a white line above track barns. Note total absence of homes in what we call Santa Anita Village and Lower Rancho.
Aerial view from position above Huntington Drive near Holly Avenue intersection looking north over Santa Anita Park. Colorado Place and Huntington Drive are seen coming together at right side of photo. Note how small the deodar (?) trees planted along Huntington Drive and Colorado Place are. Row of trees seen in center of photo were apparently left from Ranch days and were later removed.
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.
Aerial view looking northeast across Santa Anita Park toward mountains. Note training track called Anita Chiquita has been added (lower left corner), open grandstand has been added to west of covered stand. Note, too, that work has begun to change Balloon School site to Arcadia County Park. Santa Anita Avenue is tree-lined street running entire width of photo about middle of print.
Aerial view looking south over Santa Anita Race Track on a day of very heavy attendance. The floral plantings which form designs in the in-field are shown clearly. Also seen are: the clubhouse, the stables, and the training track. These latter were either moved or done away with to make way for the Fashion Park. Main gate was at NE corner of Huntington Drive and Baldwin, which was not cut through at that time. This photo belongs to the Huntington Library. It is shown here for research only.
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.
Aerial view looking west over Santa Anita Park. Photo was taken from about over intersection of Colorado Place and Huntington Drive. Note area that was to become Los Angeles County Arboretum across top of photo. Note an open Grandstand has been added to the west of original covered one. There is a small dirigible in lower right corner carrying a sign that seems to read:modern motel. Present Baldwin Avenue would run where road in this photo is seen parallel to top of photo.
Aerial view taken from about over what became Campus Drive and Arcadia High School, and looking toward (NW) Pasadena and Sierra Madre at foot of San Gabriel Mountains. Photo shows Santa Anita Park Race Track possibly just a few years after opening.
Aerial view taken looking southeast from position about over present Arboretum. Photo shows Santa Anita Park, probably in opening season. Present City Hall sits in area just beyond cars parked at east end of track. Part of oval of old Santa Anita track built by Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin is seen in upper portion of photo, in area that is now Arcadia County Park. Duarte Road is seen crossing photo in upper right corner. Present Arcadia County Park area is in this photo, bordered on the north by Pacific Electric Railroad tracks. A train has just brought a group to the races and they are seen walking in center of photo. White square seen near right side, is slab left from hangars when U.S. Army Balloon School occupied this site, 1917-1927.
Aerial view toward NE. Main thoroughfare cutting across east to west with young trees planted on north side, is Huntington Drive. Main race track at Santa Anita is seen almost directly in center of photo, with Club House on side closest to camera. The smaller oval near left edge of photo was a training track belonging to Santa Anita which was removed for the Fashion Park. The Chantry Flats Road up to Santa Anita Canyon is clearly seen as it zig-zags around San Gabriel Mountains. This photo belongs to the Huntington Library. It is shown here for research only.
Aerial view toward SW from position just north of Santa Anita Race Track with large crowd in attendance. View shows planting design on the infield, the clubhouse, and to the west, the former training track belonging to Santa Anita. This and stables were removed or relocated to make room for the Fashion Park. Baldwin Avenue was not cut through at this time. This photo belongs to the Huntington Library. It is shown here for research only.
Anita Baldwin congratulating jockey Richards and trainer Handlen probably in 1935 or 1936. Floral piece appears to be in the shape of a peacock. Note the Maltese cross on front of jockey's trousers.
Dark, tree-lined street completely bisecting photo from west to east just above, is Duarte Road. Santa Anita Park Race Track is at upper right edge of photo. Smaller oval nearby is a training track. The incomplete oval in upper left is the race track that Anita Baldwin and Joe Smoot attempted to build in 1933 but abandoned the project. Huntington Drive and Colorado Place form a "y" just east of Santa Anita Park Race Track. Note grove of olive trees on land where City Hall is located today (240 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia). Baseball diamond in upper right corner of photo, just below the convergence of the "y" is at Arcadia County Park. Corrected description as of 11/04/2008.
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.
Large stone Maltese Cross erected on the Baldwin Ranch by Anita Baldwin, marking graves of the four American Derby winners owned by her father, Elias J."Lucky" Baldwin. The cross and horse's graves are now situated at the Santa Anita Race Track. There is a sign with all details of horses' names and races won.
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.
Paul Graf, 90, of New Albany, Indiana, came back to Arcadia to see Santa Anita Park again. He had been based there as a United States Army staff sergeant during World War II, when the track was turned over to the Army Ordnance Corps for training purposes and was officially renamed Camp Santa Anita. Graf said he used to run for exercise on the Anita Chiquita training track, which was eliminated when the Santa Anita Fashion Park was built in the 1970s. Graf had arrived at Camp Santa Anita around November 1942, after the site had already been used as the Japanese Assembly Center. Photo shows Graf holding an issue of Man O' War, a newspaper issued by army personnel at Camp Santa Anita.