Dennis Moore, 67 year old track superintendent since November 2014, helps Santa Anita Park race track shine, horses stay safe. He is currently maintaining the racing surfaces at Santa Anita Park, Los Alamitos, and Del Mar.
The Oak Tree Racing Association plans to move its annual fall meet to Del Mar in 2011. Oak Tree has raced at Santa Anita Park since 1969, but will be run this fall at Hollywood Park, before moving to Del Mar. Santa Anita Park ended Oak Tree's lease.
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 Park will reduce its work force by merging departments. More than 100 full-time and seasonal positions will be affected--including some layoffs and some full-time positions becoming part-time positions, said Greg Avioli, CEO and President of Stronach Entertainment, the track's parent company. The shift to off-track betting and account wagering has brought less revenue to the race track.
Santa Anita Park has live-racing for the first time on the same day as Kentucky Derby. The track will be rooting for Santa Anita Derby winner California Chrome, a California-bred race horse.
Santa Anita Park opens today. It kicks off its 75th winter/spring meeting with its first post at noon. The 79-day race meeting continues through April 22.
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.
Santa Anita Park restaurants and eateries cut back by limiting service. The FrontRunner will serve fewer items during satellite wagering period and the Turf Club and Club House will be closed entirely. Photos of Jay Cohen, trumpeter, Billy Malone and kitchen staff and counter.
MI Developments, the new owners of Santa Anita Park, defended canceling Oak Tree Racing Association's lease for fall racing, saying the contract did not account for the true economic cost of running the race track, according to Dennis Mills, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Canada-based MI Developments. On the other hand, Oak Tree's director and executive vice president Sherwood Chillingworth said the race track was getting the better deal, as Santa Anita Park got 75% of Oak Tree's profits. Chillingworth is talking about running Oak Tree at Hollywood Park or Del Mar.
Santa Anita Park's owner MI Developments canceled a meeting with the Oak Tree Racing Association last week and said they could not meet the association's June 4 deadline to agree on terms for a new lease. Sherwood Chillingworth of Oak Tree Racing Association would prefer to stay at Santa Anita Park but has to consider Hollywood Park and Del Mar.
Santa Anita Park at a crossroads. Racetrack remains profitable but a string of cancellations, fewer horses in the running, and off-track betting show problems in the backstretch.
The California Horse Racing Board has approved Santa Anita Park's plan to resurface its main track with dirt. The Pro-Ride synthetic surface will be replaced by the first week of December.
Five things to watch for at Santa Anita Park's Autumn Meet: 1. Riding excellence by jockey Rafael Bejarano, 2. Magic touch of Bob Baffert, 3. Beholder, the first female to win Pacific Classic at Del Mar, 4. Triple Crown Winner American Pharoah will be seen training, 5. Derby hopeful Nyquist.
Santa Anita Derby Millionaire contest returns to Santa Anita Park. Six contestants will get the chance to win $1,000,000 on one wager. The track will provide $1000 bets on each horse in the race. Whichever horse wins, the contestant keeps all the money and is assigned the same horse for the Kentucky Derby. If that horse goes on to win the Triple Crown by winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, that fan would win a one million dollar jackpot.
Take the Gold Line to see the ponies at Santa Anita Park. Santa Anita Park offering the Santa Anita Shuttle to run on all race days and will operate in addition to Arcadia Transit's Shuttle service. The Santa Anita Shuttle runs non-stop from Arcadia Station (First Avenue and Santa Clara Street) of the Gold Line, through July 10, closing day of the spring meet.
Faithful fans, such as Antonio Reyes, are missing the presence of Oak Tree Racing at Santa Anita Park this year. He says he will watch on television and bet off-track. Oak Tree is running at Hollywood Park in Inglewood starting today and next year too.
Arcadia's Santa Anita Park Race Track announces racing closure following 21 horse deaths since December. Racing is suspended immediately and will return at an undetermined date. See hard copy in VF Santa Anita Park 2011-2020.
Security for Santa Anita Derby to be increased as the track continues its efforts to eradicate illegal drugs from the sport. Santa Anita Park will have security guards at the stalls of the nine entrants in the Derby, 72 hours in advance of the race.