Santa Anita Park cancelled horse racing Monday for the third consecutive day after 7-1/2-inches of rain fell on its Cushion Track, creating drainage problems.
Drainage problems with the Cushion Track cause the cancellation of races. Santa Anita Park race track executives weigh options including shutting down and moving races to Hollywood Park, or installing a completely new surface.
Beginning July 14, Santa Anita Park's main track will be reconstituted with a mixture of Pro-Ride synthetic materials to replace its ill-fated Cushion Track.
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 president Ron Charles discusses drainage problems in the Cushion Track and promises that opening day will go on as scheduled.
Santa Anita Park has come up with two options to solve its drainage issues caused by the Cushion Track. Santa Anita Park president Ron Charles will announce his decision Thursday. Santa Anita had to cancel three consecutive days of horse racing for the first time in its 71-year history, due to heavy rainfall.
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.
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.
Santa Anita Park president Jack Liebau recently resigned because of disagreements with Magna Entertainment's Frank Stronach over the direction the track is headed.
Bankrupt Santa Anita Park race track will not go on the auction block Tuesday as planned because no acceptable opening bid has been offered. The sale of the track has been postponed. The track has court-sanctioned access to operating funds at least until the first quarter of next year.
Universal Studios will use Santa Anita Park for five weeks of filming for the movie "Seabiscuit." An open casting call will select thousands of extras to be used when shooting begins in November.