Santa Anita Park will have thoroughbred racing from December 26 through April 22, a season expanded by two weeks. The horse racing bill AB 3383 provided other changes in the sport that will affect Santa Anita Park.
The California Museum of Science and Industry in Los Angeles has applied for a 2 week fair race meeting, to be held at Santa Anita Park Race Track from September 30 to October 10, 1979.
Arcadia would lose approximately $472,268 yearly if Santa Anita Park race track were to close down and the 324 acre facility were to be developed with low density residential units. Losses would be partially offset by $190,750 in new property taxes and $278,482 miscellaneous taxes. New city services would account for a 6.18% increase in the city budget.
A spokesperson for Santa Anita Consolidated has indicated that there is no intention of moving the Santa Anita Park race track to the $100 million sports complex proposed for the City of Los Angeles by Hollywood Park, Inc.
The City Council is considering collecting taxes on free admissions to the Santa Anita Park race track. It would mean considerably greater income for the City.
A special 8 page supplement offers a variety of articles on the Santa Anita Park track, its history, activities, facilities and its contributions to the community.
The current racing meeting will open Thursday December 27. Sunday racing will be inaugurated for the first time in Arcadia. Track officials are uncertain as to how the energy crisis will affect operations.
Santa Anita Park enjoyed its most successful opening day ever. Attendance, including the satellites, was 75,071 and $10,795,574 was wagered. In Arcadia, 65,164 passed through the turnstiles, betting $9,275,840.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and his entourage of International Equestrian Federation dignitaries, Olympic officials, FBI men and race track officials toured Santa Anita Park, site of the 1984 Olympic equestrian events on Wednesday.
Bill Quiggle, who has been Santa Anita Park track superintendent since 1949, retired at the end of the 1977 racing season. The track and all plantings were his domain.
The city of Arcadia has already received two checks from Santa Anita Park race track, the first payments on its one-third of 1% of the parimutuel take.
Increases in total attendance and total parimutuel handle, compared to last season, and a decline in daily average were in evidence in figures released after the November 16 close of the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park.