Santa Anita Park is making a bid for the 2012 Breeders' Cup. Former Breeders' Cup CEO Greg Avioli has taken over as Chief Executive Officer of Stronach Entertainment, and now oversees Stronach Group's race tracks and other assets. Avioli's experience brings strength to Santa Anita Park's bid. Santa Anita Park last hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2008 and 2009. The city of Arcadia gets one-third of 1 percent of all monies bet on the track. The event generated nearly $57,000 in betting handle in 2008 and nearly $58,000 in 2009 for the city.
Santa Anita Park on Verge of new era. New Santa Anita Park Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Verge will re-institute its "Free Fridays" promotion. Starting this Friday and every Friday for the rest of the meet, all fans will be given free grandstand admission and the price for hot dogs, sodas and beer will be cut to $2. Previous CEO Greg Avioli resigned earlier this month.
Santa Anita Park will be hosting the coveted 2012 Breeders' Cup World Championships. The Stronach Group took full control of the race track from MI Developments at the end of June. The two-day event will generate some revenue for the city and bring a lot of exposure to the San Gabriel Valley.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced at L. A. Live, that the Breeders' Cup World Championships will return to Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, in 2012. It will mark the sixth time that Santa Anita Park hosts the two-day event.
Santa Anita Park: DA to examine death of 22 horses at track.
Additionally, Rep. Judy Chu calls for hearings into the treatment of horses at the nation’s racing venues
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is investigating whether the 22 horse deaths at Santa Anita racetrack in the past three months were the result of criminal wrongdoing, authorities said Friday.
The probe began this week following the death of the 22nd horse Thursday.
Trouble at Santa Anita Park. According to figures taken from Equibase, Santa Anita Park's total handle was down $77.1 million, or 17.7% from a year ago. If the current trend continues, the track's all-sources handle could show a decline of more than $100 million for the 2010-2011 meet. George Haines, the president of Santa Anita Park, has other troubles, including some wet weather, a players' boycott, and the inconsistencies of a new dirt racing surface.
Developer Rick Caruso said he is in the process of finalizing a new deal with Santa Anita Park's owners to build an outdoor mall at the race track's south parking lot. MI Developments (MID) (owner of track), voided a 2005 joint-venture development agreement with Caruso Affiliated in April 2010 for the proposed 825,000 square feet The Shops at Santa Anita, as part of MID's bankruptcy reorganization. MID and Caruso have been renegotiating since, and the development will be similar with some minor variations.
Santa Anita Park's owners want rock group KISS's singer Gene Simmons for a public relations and marketing gig. Despite several changes in recent months, track owner Frank Stronach, 80, said Santa Anita Park continues to fall short of his financial expectations.
George Haines leaving as President of Santa Anita Park to head Southern California Off Track Wagering, Incorporated. Tom Ludt has been appointed the new President, effective April 7, 2014. Ludt was hired a year ago as Senior Vice President, Racing and Gaming-Stronach Group. See hard copy in VF Santa Anita Park 2011-2020.
Santa Anita Park at a crossroads. Racetrack remains profitable but a string of cancellations, fewer horses in the running, and off-track betting show problems in the backstretch.
Stronach Group and Santa Anita Park issue statement following the death of a 3-year-old colt named Emtech, euthanized on September 28. Two-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey Mario Gutierrez was tossed off in the incident. Santa Anita park will be reviewing the factors that could have contributed to Emtech's injury. Veterinarians Dr. Dionne Benson and Dr. Dana Stead were employed to euthanize and investigate.
Gene Simmons, frontman and singer of rock group KISS, promises to work magic at Santa Anita Park race track, with ideas for using the track for nightclubs, shopping, lifestyle attractions, concerts, and other events.
Santa Anita Park owner Frank Stronach met with about a dozen horse trainers to discuss the track's racing surface. Stronach announced that he would not replace the synthetic Pro-Ride track yet, but will stick with it until he gets the ability to run the track with less state regulations. He wants free enterprise, which he may never get. In the meantime, drainage problems and injuries persist on the synthetic track. Stronach said he'd be back in April to discuss the issue more.
Holiday gifts come early for jockey Joel Rosario, veteran has nine mounts on today's card as Santa Anita meet opens. Rosario plans to ride full-time at Santa Anita Park this winter.
Santa Anita Park race track attendance is on the upswing. It drew 40,810 on Friday, its biggest opening day turnout since 2011. On-track attendance was up 33% over last year, partly because of the free infield admission program, which drew more than 10,000 people. Total wagering, including bets placed from all over the country, rose nearly 30% to more than $17 million. On-site betting was more than $3.4 million. The City of Arcadia gets 1/3 of 1% of all on-site wagering.
Major traffic jams during Santa Anita Park Race Track's record breaking opening day. All parking lots were full by 12:20 PM on December 26, 2017. See also Mountain Views News, p. B1, December 30, 2017 opening day recap crowd of 40,000.
Live horse racing returns Friday to Santa Anita Park. Major audio visual improvements mark significant investment in horse racing. The track is now offering more food choices and some unique craft beers.
Santa Anita Park has live-racing for the first time on the same day as Kentucky Derby. The track will be rooting for Santa Anita Derby winner California Chrome, a California-bred race horse.