Dr. Charles H. Strub brought horse racing back to Arcadia. After the state made it legal again in 1930, Anita Baldwin tried to revive her father, Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin's dream of a Santa Anita Racetrack. She worked with Joe Smoot but he couldn't achieve this, even though Arcadia City Council licensed his Santa Anita Jockey Club. San Francisco dentist Charles H. Strub (pronounced Stroob), owner of the San Francisco Seals baseball team, got a license for the Los Angeles Turf Club and founded Santa Anita Park with Hal Roach and other promoters. The track was designed by Gordon Kaufman and opened December 25, 1934.
The proposed site for Arcadia's Gold Line station is just east of Santa Anita Avenue, at the First Avenue/Santa Clara intersection. City leaders want to separate the railroad tracks from the street.
Santa Anita Park race track requested that the City Council delay acting on legislation that would govern its nighttime operations. Public hearings will be held so that the track's stance can be explained to neighboring homeowners.
The City Council gave a first reading to an ordinance that would allow the FrontRunner restaurant at Santa Anita Park race track to be open year round instead of just during the race season.
Santa Anita Park race track will unveil a 1000-pound bronze statue of popular race horse John Henry and a historical marker covering 75 years of the race track's history, as part of its 75th anniversary this Saturday. The bronze statue cost more than $100,000. The marker was done by the Arcadia Historical Society.
Developer Rick Caruso's $400 million open-air mall at the Santa Anita Park race track may be stiff competition for retailers at Westfield Shoppingtown. City leaders hope the two malls can coexist.
Charles Cooper continues his series "Memories of Arcadia" with a story about the Santa Anita Assembly Center for the Japanese, where at its height, it housed more than 18,000 people. Japanese had a long local history, dating back to workers on the Santa Anita Ranch, and local residents had the uncomfortable feeling of seeing friends behind the wire at the track.
The temporary shutting down of horse racing at Santa Anita Park, due to drainage issues associated with its Cushion Track, has slowed food, beverage and merchandise sales on site. The City of Arcadia, which receives a portion of each ticket sold, has cause for concern.
Obituary/death notice. Radio personality and singer Veeva "Suzy" Hamblen has died at the age of 101, in Santa Clarita, California. She and husband Stuart Hamblen (died 1989), also a radio entertainer, had a ranch in Arcadia for many years and were known as some of the leading trainers at Santa Anita Race Track in the late 1940s. Stuart and Veeva rode their Peruvian Paso horses in the Rose Parade from 1979 to 1989. Veeva was also famous as a gospel songwriter.
Judge James C. Chalfant stands by his July decision that the environmental impact report (EIR) that Arcadia officials relied upon in approving the mall was faulty in 11 areas and that it would have to be revised before the Caruso mall project, proposed for the Santa Anita Park race track parking lot, known as the Shops at Santa Anita, can move forward.
The movie Seabiscuit concludes filming at Santa Anita Park race track this week. A photo shows Arcadia Mayor Gail Marshall, with Arlene Marshall, Ron Kourg and Carl Cobb.
Horseracing TV (HRTV) is the only national television network in the San Gabriel Valley. It is run out of a small studio at Santa Anita Park race track and shows 15 hours per day of live racing content from Santa Anita and 14 other tracks.
Celebrity and super model Tyra Banks' television show "Top Model" did a photo shoot at Santa Anita Park Race Track, using semi-nude models. Pete Siberell, Director of Community Service at Santa Anita Park, described it as "kinda sleazy."
Harris & Associates will design streetscape and landscape improvements for the Santa Anita Entry Corridor, meaning Santa Anita Avenue from Huntington Drive to the Foothill 210 Freeway and on areas adjacent to the Santa Anita Avenue and Baldwin Avenue freeway ramps. The project will include pavement work. The contract for the project is for $107,211.
Magna Entertainment Corp. (MEC), owner of Santa Anita Park, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Santa Anita Park may be sold to pay off Magna's debts. Frank Stronach paid $126 million for Santa Anita Park in 1996. The track has three potential buyers, including a group from Asia.
The city Planning Commission approved a plan for a senior citizen condominium complex across the street from the Santa Anita Park race track. It will be 78 units. A 58-year old motel will be demolished.
Firefighters have gained the upper hand on the Santa Anita Fire yesterday after it had burned a total of 584 acres. Officials lifted mandatory evacuations throughout the area. A timeline of the fire is on page 11.