The Oak Tree Racing Association plans to move its annual fall meet to Del Mar in 2011. Oak Tree has raced at Santa Anita Park since 1969, but will be run this fall at Hollywood Park, before moving to Del Mar. Santa Anita Park ended Oak Tree's lease.
The California Horse Racing Board has approved fall racing's return to Santa Anita Park, in 2011, after a 1-year hiatus, but this time Oak Tree Racing Association will not be running the show. Oak Tree could participate, but would not operate the Directors Room or handle the money raised for the industry.
Santa Anita Park will undergo an inspection arranged by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to evaluate its safety before the Oak Tree Racing Association's upcoming fall meet. Horse owners and trainers are concerned that the track may be unsafe due, in part, to the number of rocks embedded in the racetrack's surface, said Sherwood Chillingworth, executive vice president of Oak Tree.
note: For Pressbooks/Media Guide, see Arcadia History Box 46. 1. Oak Tree Meeting. Los Angeles Times March 17, 1969. 2. No horsing around at parimutuel window. Arcadia Tribune December 8, 1977. 3. Oak Tree - Santa Anita. Promotional brochure for October 8 - November 7, 1976. 4. $350,000 Nā¦
note: For Pressbooks/Media Guide, see Arcadia History Box 46.
1. Oak Tree Meeting. Los Angeles Times March 17, 1969.
2. No horsing around at parimutuel window. Arcadia Tribune December 8, 1977.
3. Oak Tree - Santa Anita. Promotional brochure for October 8 - November 7, 1976.
4. $350,000 National Thoroughbred Championship. Brochure outlining conditions of race and offering histories of those horses invited. November 1, 1975.
5. Oak Tree's 1981 Season to be longest, richest ever. Arcadia Tribune special supplement September 27, 1981.
6. Oak Tree Racing Association. Brown-covered pictorial brochure with background of each Board Member. 1981.
7. The Breeders Cup, October 19-30, 1986. Published as a special supplement to the Star News and Foothill Inter-City newspapers.
8. 20th Anniversary Breeders' Cup event ticket holder. Oak Tree at Santa Anita, October 25, 2003.
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) denied a license to Oak Tree Racing Association to run its fall meet at Santa Anita Park after representatives from the Thoroughbred Owners of California and the California Thoroughbred Trainers said they opposed having Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park due to safety concerns, saying they prefer Hollywood Park. Sherwood Chillingworth, executive vice president of Oak Tree, said he was moving forward to make arrangements to run the fall meet at Hollywood Park, but did not rule out the possibility that the board could change its mind.
Santa Anita Park will host the Oak Tree Racing Association's fall meet one last time. Oak Tree's five-week fall meet has been held at Santa Anita Park since 1969. Frank Stronach, chairman of MI Development (owner of Santa Anita Park), said he doesn't want to have a tenant (Oak Tree) in the long run and talked about deregulation of the horse racing industry.
MI Developments, the new owners of Santa Anita Park, defended canceling Oak Tree Racing Association's lease for fall racing, saying the contract did not account for the true economic cost of running the race track, according to Dennis Mills, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Canada-based MI Developments. On the other hand, Oak Tree's director and executive vice president Sherwood Chillingworth said the race track was getting the better deal, as Santa Anita Park got 75% of Oak Tree's profits. Chillingworth is talking about running Oak Tree at Hollywood Park or Del Mar.
The Oak Tree Racing Association has allocated $365,000 to the University of California, Davis, Veterinary School for the study of the heart and lungs of the thoroughbred.
If Oak Tree is not held at Santa Anita Park this fall, as it has for the last 41 years, it would be a significant hit to the city of Arcadia and the region, city officials said. Last year, the city of Arcadia made $185,000 from the Oak Tree meet's betting handle. In addition, the city would suffer the loss of tens of thousands of dollars in sales tax and hotel bed tax revenue. The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) denied Oak Tree Racing Association's request to run its five-week fall meet at Santa Anita Park after horse owners, trainers, and a racetrack expert expressed concerns about the synthetic surface. Oak Tree officials say they are moving forward to make arrangements to run the meet at Hollywood Park.
Santa Anita Park and Oak Tree Racing Association are vying for the same fall racing dates in 2011. The California Horse Racing Board will meet today to discuss awarding the September 28, 2011 through November 6, 2011 dates.
Ray Rogers, vice president and general manager, is celebrating his 25th anniversary with Santa Anita Park. Rogers discusses the past and future of Santa Anita.
The Oak Tree Racing Association lost its lease to operate its fall horse racing meet at Santa Anita Park. Oak Tree has operated a fall meet at the track since 1969. Due to bankruptcy restructuring, Frank Stronach's company MI Developments took control of Santa Anita Park from Stronach's Magna Entertainment Corp (MEC). MI Developments wants to negotiate a new lease agreement with Oak Tree for fall racing.
Oak Tree Racing Association's autumn season will begin October 17. The 25 day session offers 16 stakes races with record purses. Several new features including Pick Six wagering will be offered.
Oak Tree Racing Association's 1996 season started with a bang on October 2. Patrons discovered a new look with the $3.5 million improvement programs completed over the summer at Santa Anita Park race track.
The 1980 Oak Tree Racing Association season set records in attendance, parimutual handle, wagering and horsemen benefits. Awards for the meet are enumerated: John Henry was voted Horse of the Meeting. Sandy Hawley won the riding championship.
The Oak Tree Racing Association reversed a national trend of declining on-track attendance by finishing its 28th meeting at Santa Anita Park with a 1.1% increase in on-track attendance.