The recent scaling back of the proposed expansion at the Santa Anita Fashion Park means the city may no longer need a bond to help pay for the project.
Santa Anita Park Race Track would like to build a helipad on the hillside on the north edge of its property and has sent a letter to its neighbors to the north asking if they have any objections.
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.
Chic Anderson, one of the finest thoroughbred racing announcers known for his work at the Kentucky Derby and other major races, has been named to be the announcer at Santa Anita Park for 1975.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Plaza de las Fiestas, a new multipurpose arena in the northwest quadrant of the infield at the Santa Anita Park, has been created to accommodate Family Faire weekend outings for groups of 25 or more, as well as company picnics, concerts, trade shows, equine shows and other special occasions that can share the day with racing.
An ordinance will be introduced for first reading by Arcadia City Council whereby the city would receive .33 of 1% of parimutuel wagers at Santa Anita Park race track. If ordinance is approved, city would eliminate admission tax.
Santa Anita Park completed its most successful season ever with $445 million wagered. Total attendance was also an all-time high. The admission tax netted the city $1.1 million. The Park's other contributions to the city are discussed.
On a 4-1 vote, Arcadia City Council gave first reading to an ordinance whereby the City elects to receive a 1/3 of 1% of parimutual wagers at Santa Anita Park Race Track. Adoption means the city will not charge an admission tax.
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.
In a pre-dawn raid at Santa Anita Park race track, immigration and border patrol agents arrested 173 illegal aliens from 8 countries. As many as 600 other illegals believed to be working at Santa Anita Park escaped arrest by moving to Hollywood Park.
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.
Mayor Charles Gilb said he has been assured that a helipad will not be constructed on the north edge of the Santa Anita Park race track property due to protest by neighbors.
May Co. has bowed out of the proposed expansion of the Santa Anita Fashion Park. As a result, the project's price tag should drop from $75 million to approximately $32 million.
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.