Santa Anita Park opens the 2010-2011 season with a new $3 million dirt surface on its track. The on-track attendance was 34,268, which was 1,400 less than last year. Trumpeter Jay Cohen calls the horses to the gate (photo).
Santa Anita Park's current Pro-Ride synthetic track surface will be replaced with a dirt track after the Oak Tree meet ends October 31 and before Santa Anita Park's winter-spring season starts December 26, 2010. Frank Stronach said it will cost about $6 million to install.
The California Horse Racing Board has approved fall racing's return to Santa Anita Park, in 2011, after a 1-year hiatus, but this time Oak Tree Racing Association will not be running the show. Oak Tree could participate, but would not operate the Directors Room or handle the money raised for the industry.
Horses at Santa Anita Park suffered fatal racing injuries at more than twice the rate of horses competing at California's other 3 major thoroughbred tracks over the last fiscal year, according to statistics. The fatality rate spiked at Santa Anita Park after the switch from a synthetic running surface back to a dirt track in 2010. There were 12 fatalities, or 3.7 per 1,000 starts, at Santa Anita Park in the last fiscal year.
Santa Anita Park race track attendance is on the upswing. It drew 40,810 on Friday, its biggest opening day turnout since 2011. On-track attendance was up 33% over last year, partly because of the free infield admission program, which drew more than 10,000 people. Total wagering, including bets placed from all over the country, rose nearly 30% to more than $17 million. On-site betting was more than $3.4 million. The City of Arcadia gets 1/3 of 1% of all on-site wagering.
MI Developments, the parent company of Santa Anita Park, announced the formation of the Preakness 5.5 bonus program, which could mean an additional $5.5 million for the winning connections of the middle leg of horse racing's Triple Crown in 2011.
Santa Anita Park: weather could impact track. Santa Anita Park agrees to California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) demand to cancel horse racing in case of inclement weather during the winter-spring meet that begins December 26. Jockey Joel Rosario is mentioned in this article.Gregory Ferraro, new chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, a former race track veterinarian who was appointed to the board by Governor Gavin Newsom earlier this year, pledged the state board would be pursuing stricter regulations than it has in the past.
Santa Anita Park race event 2012 Sunshine Millions tomorrow. Horse named Caracortado is shown with jockey Paul Atkinson (from a 2010 Preakness Stakes photo).
Santa Anita Park saves historic "100 to 1 Club" sign from the demolished bar of that name and refurbishes it for a new 100-to-1 Club at Santa Anita Park racetrack.
Santa Anita Park's main track to undergo major renovation beginning July 11. Track is transitioning to a single source material consisting of highly coveted El Segundo Sand, a natural soil that will ensure balanced drainage during periods of wet weather and uniform, safe cushion year round. Dennis Moore is Track Superintendent.
Santa Anita Park's synthetic track surface will be removed and a new $5 million plus dirt surface, closely resembling the ones at Churchill Downs, Gulfstream Park and the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga, will be installed. Ted Malloy is the racing surface consultant. He hopes to have the new track in by December 6.
Trainer John Sadler, a 54-year old Long Beach native, watched from home with a knee injury, as his trainees Switch, Sidney's Candy, and Twirling Candy) win three stakes races on Santa Anita Park's opening day of the 2010-2011 season, its 74th racing season.
More than 11 acres of pristine native oak woodland at the Arcadia/Monrovia border, adjacent to Wilderness Park, are scheduled to be cut down to create a dumping ground for sediment dredge from the Santa Anita Dam, in a Los Angeles County Public Works project. The dam gets cleared out every 20 years or so. About 500,000 cubic yards of dirt and debris clogging the dam will be removed. Glen Owens, a founder of the Big Santa Anita Historical Society and a Monrovia planning commissioner, said the dirt shouldn't be dumped in one of only two native woodlands left in the San Gabriel Valley. Arcadia Councilman Bob Harbicht wants to hold a meeting with the city and county public works officials to clarify plans for the dirt dispersal.
The changing architecture of Arcadia. Rusnak Mercedes Benz--in town since 2000 and currently at 55 West Huntington Drive--broke ground last December on construction of a 22,500 s.f. 2-story structure around the corner from its current base of operations. The new location will be on the 100 block of Santa Anita Avenue and will also include 78,000 s.f. for vehicle service, repairs, storage, and parking. The dealership's annual sales for 2014 was $170.5 million.
A drainage problem forced the cancellation of horse racing at Santa Anita Park since three inches of rain fell yesterday. The track has had to cancel racing 12 times since the synthetic track was installed two years ago. In 2006, the California Horse Racing Board banned dirt surfaces from thoroughbred tracks. Santa Anita Park has tried two synthetic tracks but the surfaces have not worked out. Officials announced they will replace the synthetic surface before the Oak Tree Meet in the fall.
George Haines leaving as President of Santa Anita Park to head Southern California Off Track Wagering, Incorporated. Tom Ludt has been appointed the new President, effective April 7, 2014. Ludt was hired a year ago as Senior Vice President, Racing and Gaming-Stronach Group. See hard copy in VF Santa Anita Park 2011-2020.
Santa Anita Dam sediment project is nearly complete but residents and activists continue to question Los Angeles County's intentions for demolishing the 11-acre Arcadia Woodlands 1.5 years ago. Following the removal of the trees on January 12, 2011, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has been moving mud and debris from the dam to the middle and lower sediment placement sites by a massive conveyor belt. Moving the dirt makes flood control and water conservation possible for the neighboring populations of Arcadia and Sierra Madre.
Santa Anita Park is making a bid for the 2012 Breeders' Cup. Former Breeders' Cup CEO Greg Avioli has taken over as Chief Executive Officer of Stronach Entertainment, and now oversees Stronach Group's race tracks and other assets. Avioli's experience brings strength to Santa Anita Park's bid. Santa Anita Park last hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2008 and 2009. The city of Arcadia gets one-third of 1 percent of all monies bet on the track. The event generated nearly $57,000 in betting handle in 2008 and nearly $58,000 in 2009 for the city.
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) delayed a decision on conflicting requests for 2011 racing dates from Santa Anita Park and Oak Tree Racing Association. The CHRB urged Santa Anita Park, Hollywood Park and Oak Tree to get together to come up with a plan that works for the good of the industry.
Breeders' Cup seen as good bet for Southern California. The 2019 Breeders' Cup World Championships will take place at Santa Anita Park. The two-day event is expected to generate as much as $100 million for the SoCal economy.