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.
Santa Anita Park is looking to renovate the Chandelier Room, which is part of Turf Club. It would be gutted and turned into a "night club." The Chandelier Room has been around since the race track opened on Christmas Day, 1934 (probably not true, according to Sandy Snider). Its giant chandeliers were imported from Versailles in France.
Cautious concern is the reaction of public officials to a comment by Santa Anita Park race track spokesman, Robert Sweeney, that the track could go out of business if Proposition 37 passes this November. Jim Helms, chairman of the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce's Legislative Committee said that his group opposes the Lottery Initiative in part because it could reduce revenue to Santa Anita and the city.
Summary of a vintage promotional booklet about Santa Anita Park havings its inaugural race on Christmas Day, December 25, 1934. At the time, Los Angeles Turf Club Inc. was the owner and operator of Santa Anita Park and there were 53 racing days that first season. Charter stockholder and membership requirements are discussed.
If the lottery initiative on the November ballot passes, Santa Anita Park race track could go out of business, dragging down with it reserves that the city of Arcadia obtains from the track's handle, according to Robert Sweeney, executive vice president and general manager of the California Thoroughbred Association.
Arcadia Rotary Club and other clubs in the United States raised $30,000, which was matched by the Rotary Foundation to total $330,000. The money will go to college loans for students in a southwest Ugandan village.
A multi-million dollar remodeling at Santa Anita Park will include a restoration of the Chandelier Room to its former glamour. The room is nearly 80 years old (probably not true, according to Sandy Snider), and is the most popular event venue at the track. Other portions of the grandstand will be renovated and will remain true to the architectural and design style of the Art Deco period that originally inspired it.
A judge has disqualified the Los Angeles law firm Latham and Watkins from representing mall owner Westfield Group in its ongoing battle with developer Rick Caruso because Latham and Watkins had represented the Los Angeles Turf Club on an earlier development project in 1999-2000.
New season began at Santa Anita Park on December 26. This season's opening day drew 41,000 fans, a significant increase over last year's turnout and a morale boost for the iconic venue that has been protected by National Registry of Historic Sites since 2006. In order to appeal to a younger crowd, the clubhouse space has been reconfigured, and the strictly reinforced dress code of yesteryear has been eliminated, along with the private Turf Club--now called Turf Terrace and is open to the public. The decor of the Chandelier Room has gone mid-century modern and the Directors' Room can be rented out for private parties. Gene Simmons of rock band KISS is a marketing advisor and the new management policy seems to be "anything goes." (Photos)
Arcadia: Measure A reflecting on the journey to passage. The measure passed in the March 7 election. It seeks to generate locally-controlled funding through a parcel tax that is exclusively for teachers' salaries and educational programs.
A bill that could generate an estimated $700,000 yearly in additional race track revenue for Arcadia cleared the State Assembly on Thursday and now heads for the Senate. The bill, AB 2780, seeks to authorize Arcadia and other cities to collect up to 1/3 of 1% of the total amount bet at a race track within their boundaries if the city were willing to forego any tax on admissions or parking. Arcadia has never charged a parking tax at Santa Anita Park. Arcadia city officials are neutral at this point, according to City Manager George Watts.
Council revises tax for admissions over race track protests. The revisions recommended apply to the existing admissions tax (a tax on other events, entertainment, amusement or competition other than horse racing held on premises with a capacity of 1,000 or more.)
City Council has renewed an examination of the admission tax Santa Anita pays compared to other race tracks. The track provided 34.1% of the city's total annual revenues in the fiscal year 1980-81. Traffic control costs in Arcadia are higher than in other cities with race tracks.
For the first time people 62 years old and over and those on disability may get substantial tax relief. They must file between May 16 and August 31 to the Franchise Tax Board office at 3325 Wilshire Blvd. or Senior Citizens Property Tax Assistance- P. O. Box 1588 Sacramento. Proof of age or disability required.
The Arcadia City Council ignored a request from the Arcadia Tax Reform Committee to vote again on taxes approved in June, 1978, following passage of Proposition 13.