When the dark comedy "Numbers" hits the big screen, millions of viewers will believe the story unfolds in Harrisburg, PA, but local folks will know that they're really seeing a stretch of Huntington Drive in Arcadia.
Karen Garr is one of 400 pari-mutual clerks behind the betting windows at Arcadia's Santa Anita Park. The 44 year old Arcadia resident has been close to the race track since 1969, when she started as a "pony girl" in the back stretch of Santa Anita Park.
$300,0000 worth of imaging equipment and the facility to house it were donated to the Park by the Southern California Equine Foundation. The nuclear imaging equipment is used like an X-ray to diagnose bone fractures and strains in horses.
The Arcadia City Planning Commission voted 6-0 to reject the zoning change for the Santa Anita Park property from "horse racing uses" to "commercial/entertainment," saying it could not approve any changes until it sees a specific proposal.
Promoters expect 20,000 people a day to attend Festival Santa Anita, a Labor Day weekend event featuring Latin music, food, and arts and crafts. This will be the first major event at Santa Anita Park since the City Council decided in July to allow its use as a concert venue.
The opening day of Oak Tree marked the introduction of satellite wagering on Santa Anita Park races at Hollywood Park and Los Alamitos. After years of resistance, Santa Anita Park has fully embraced satellite wagering in a bid to win back fans lost to the lottery and urban congestion.