California Philharmonic (Cal Phil) has announced its 2012 summer concert season is moving to Santa Anita Park. Cal Phil Music Director Victor Vener said a multi-year contract would be signed with the track, making the deal a partnership. CalPhil had been considered a Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden tenant for the past 15 years. The 2012 season will open June 30.
CalPhil opens Festival on the Green summer concert series on June 30 with a concert featuring singer Vanessa Carlton, the USC Trojan Marching Band, and pyrotechnics, at Santa Anita Park. See hard copy in VF "Santa Anita Park 2011-2020."
California Philharmonic persists despite financial straits. It owes "quite a bit of money to quite a lot of people," including about $2,000 apiece to 60 musicians, but the orchestra has no plans to go out of business, said Music Director Victor Vener. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1 and 6, November 1, 2012.
Pasadena Symphony Association and its Pasadena Pops Orchestra, will take over the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden's 2012 summer concerts, which had featured the California Philharmonic Orchestra and its music director Victor Vener for 14 years.
Cal Phil's 20 years of outdoor concerts ends. The familiar giant concert dome of the California Philharmonic (CalPhil) will not adorn the infield at Santa Anita Park this summer. The concert series has been canceled by its board of directors to concentrate on the remaining scheduled concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall this summer. The series started at Los Angeles County Arboretum in 1996 when CalPhil maestro Victor Vener started a Hollywood Bowl-type experience for Arcadia.
California Philharmonic played its last concert at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, after 15 years of playing summer concerts there. Next year, the California Philharmonic will be playing at Santa Anita Park, where the amenities include indoor plumbing, a full liquor license and improved parking.
Santa Anita Park race track rejects request from state regulator California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to cancel its last six days of racing this season, in the wake of two more horse deaths over weekend.
Arcadia's Santa Anita Park main track to reopen today after rash of fatalities. Nineteen horses have died at Santa Anita Park Race Track since December 2018. Track surfaces are being tested.
Race horse Shared Belief wins. Jockey Mike Smith rides Shared Belief to take the lead to beat jockey Victor Espinoza on race horse California Chrome in the San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita Park yesterday.
California Horse Racing Board (CHRB): ban more drugs, release tests. The CHRB wants California Governor Gavin Newsom to pursue changes to state law that would allow the agency to immediately release results of a positive horse drug test and permit more stakeholders, including jockeys and track veterinarians, to access a horse's medical history. Currently, drug test results are confidential. The changes are part of an effort to curb equine deaths and improve safety at California race tracks. Nearly 40 horses have died at Santa Anita Park in the last year.
Santa Anita Park: weather could impact track. Santa Anita Park agrees to California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) demand to cancel horse racing in case of inclement weather during the winter-spring meet that begins December 26. Jockey Joel Rosario is mentioned in this article.Gregory Ferraro, new chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, a former race track veterinarian who was appointed to the board by Governor Gavin Newsom earlier this year, pledged the state board would be pursuing stricter regulations than it has in the past.
Arcadia businesses are eager for extended race season at Santa Anita Park to increase their own business. The live racing season will be extended by 11 weeks next year, through July 5, pending approval of California Horse Racing Board, due to the closure of Betfair Hollywood Park in Inglewood.
Arcadia City Council last week approved expanding the kinds of outdoor special events allowed at Santa Anita Park race track, and in the adjacent parking lot areas, including concerts, carnivals, and farmers markets. The change will allow the track to host the California Philharmonic summer concerts and possibly Cavalia, a Cirque du Soleil show. Councilman Roger Chandler said the amendments made to the city's municipal code allow a very large and underused piece of land, specifically the south parking lot, to be used and to generate additional income for the track.
California Philharmonic's (Cal Phil) "Be Instrumental" Holiday Haul 2011 will benefit Union Station Homeless. Services have been extended through December 21.
Santa Anita Park. In another major reform growing out of the deaths of 23 horses at Santa Anita Park, California state regulatory agency to order thorough exams in future race horse deaths.
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.
Santa Anita Park to open Friday, March 29 with California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) approval. Santa Anita Handicap now to be run on Santa Anita Derby Day April 6.