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.
Art Wilson writes about some of the famous names in Santa Anita Park's 75 year history, including Charlie Whittingham, Bill Shoemaker, Laffit Pincay, Jr., Seabiscuit, Citation and John Henry.
Life is Sweet (race horse) was the winner of the Grade I $2 million Ladies' Classic at the Breeders' Cup XXVI. Rider Garrett Gomez and Life is Sweet are shown in a photo. More recap and news is in an accompanying article "Europeans seek another Classic performance."
Zenyatta, a filly and the kind of sensational race horse that comes along only once in a generation, scored perhaps the greatest victory in the history of the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park. With jockey Mike Smith (in photo), Zenyatta wins the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic by one length. Other winners are listed.
Innovations were unveiled at the opening day of Santa Anita Park. There is a new horseshoe - shaped bar and the SIRONA restaurant overlooking the paddock plus a new entertainment area and two grills now under construction. A list of people seen in the crowd is included.
Two articles describe this coming weekend's Breeders' Cup race at Santa Anita Park. "Unbeaten Zenyatta already looks like a Classic choice," p. B1 and "Smart money may be on Einstein," p. B3.
Opening day of its 72nd season of thoroughbred racing at Santa Anita Park brought in 33,112 fans. Santa Anita Park officials were pleased with the turnout.
On opening day of the winter - spring season at Santa Anita Park race track, fans will find renovations including additional dining areas, outdoor lighting, new restrooms, a new restaurant, SIRONA, on the Terrace level and palm trees near the entrance.
Santa Anita Park president Ron Charles has announced it will continue to race on its Cushion Track this season. It will undergo some reformulation with polymer and fibers produced by Pro-Ride, an Australian company, so that it will drain properly.
Lava Man, with exercise rider Tony Romero, takes a jog on the Santa Anita Park race track's new surface, a Cushion Track that cost more than $10 million.
Santa Anita Park race track's CEO and President Ron Charles said Santa Anita Park race track will not be sold to help Magnum Entertainment Corporation eliminate a $600-million-plus debt. However, Santa Anita Park race track is entertaining discussions with Magnum Entertainment Corporation concerning potential partnerships or joint ventures on a minority interest basis. Includes a historical timeline.
A tile tapestry was unveiled on the northwest wall of the Arcadia Public Library on Friday, April 8, 2005. More than 200 individual tiles were painted by the public to depict life in Arcadia. A photo is included.