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.
Is Breeders' Cup next fatality? Santa Anita Park trips its way to finish line of disastrous meet that saw 30 horse fatalities. Protesters gather outside Santa Anita Park on the final day of the winter/spring meet. Breeders' Cup board meets in New York to decide if it really wants to honor its commitment to Santa Anita Park in November. See also same date, p. B1, B7 "Questions abound as Santa Anita meet ends," by Art Wilson.
Santa Anita Park backstretch workers voice concerns and support of new best practices and reforms that establish a new standard for the humane treatment of race horses they care for and love.
Santa Anita Park. No horse injuries but fewer fans in stands. On Santa Anita Derby Day, the track attendance was 30,713, the third smallest in the past 75 runnings of the Santa Anita Derby, about 5,000 below the recent average. Spate of equine deaths might have taken toll on attendance. Jockey Mike Smith (pictured) celebrates after riding Roadster to victory in the Santa Anita Derby. Animal welfare protesters were present, and attendance was down, but no racing injuries were reported.
Update on Jay Cohen and other Santa Anita news. Joan Schmidt writes that former beloved Santa Anita Park trumpeter Jay Cohen has Bell’s Palsy, which has caused paralysis of the right side of his face. Jay was born in Camden, NJ. Includes other biographical information. Jockey Ruben Fuentes was voted “Jockey of the Week” by Jockeys’ Guild Foundation Detox. Happy 98th birthday to Santa Anita Park worker John Shear, who still has no intention of retiring.
1. CalPhil opens at Santa Anita. California Philharmonic Orchestra's Festival on the Green summer concerts opens on June 30 with a concert featuring singer Vanessa Carlton, USC Trojan Marching Band and pyrotechnics at Santa Anita Park. The Weekly Star (supplement to PSN, an edition of the Duartean,…
1. CalPhil opens at Santa Anita. California Philharmonic Orchestra's Festival on the Green summer concerts opens on June 30 with a concert featuring singer Vanessa Carlton, USC Trojan Marching Band and pyrotechnics at Santa Anita Park. The Weekly Star (supplement to PSN, an edition of the Duartean, Monrovia News Post, Arcadia Tribune and Star-Temple City Editions), January 24, 2012.
2. Breeders' Cup World Championships Official Track Program, Saturday, November 3, 2012.
3. 626 Night Market, 2013 Summer Garden Nights at Santa Anita Park. Guide to food booths. 626 Night Market, in its second year, is the largest Asian night market in America. Two copies. A) Shows all dates this summer. B) Shows July and August dates.
4. City of Arcadia pamphlet of local shopping, dining, attraction, Santa Anita Park information for visitors. Arcadia Welcomes You to the 2013 Breeders' Cup World Championships. 2 copies.
5. Santa Anita opening: blue skies and blue jeans. Pasadena Star News, p. A3, January 6, 2014. With pictures of $15 million renovation of the clubhouse and Chandelier Room, Alan Balch, Jane Goldstein, and Peggy Whittingham.
6. George Haines leaves Santa Anita; new president Tom Lundt is in. Arcadia Weekly, April 3, 2014.
7. Interview on the 20th anniversary of Santa Anita Derby Day 5K with Santa Anita Park Director of Special Projects, Pete Siberell. Arcadia Weekly, April 3, 2014.
8. Hang gliders land at Santa Anita Park (Jeff Chipman and Ron Keinan). The Weekly Star, April 13, 2014.
9. New dirt on way to track this summer, to resurface and renovate the main track, says Dennis Moore. It will be safer and easier to maintain. The Weekly Star (supplement to Pasadena Star News), June 15, 2014.
10. Santa Anita's future development plans. Santa Anita Park chairman Keith Brackpool says the track might add 800 horse stable barns in the north parking lot area, build two high class restaurants, and potentially develop a major retail/entertainment component that could include a hotel, August 17, 2014. Retrieved from www.Arcadiasbest.com, August 23, 2014.
11. Special supplement Santa Anita Park's autumn meeting and Breeders' Cup, Pasadena Star News September 25, 2014.
12. Santa Anita Park Spring Meet April 24-June 28, with picture of jockey Victor Espinoza. Special supplement in Pasadena Star News (San Gabriel Valley Tribune Newspapers), April 24, 2015.
13. Santa Anita Park winter meet preview, Dec 26, 2016-April 9, 2017. Insert in Pasadena Star News.
14. Santa Anita Park facing changes. The company that owns and manages Santa Anita Park is restructuring to better monetize the race track. Pasadena Star News, October 17, 2017.
15. Santa Anita main track set to re-open for training Sept. 3, as horses prepare for 2017 Autumn Meet opener on September 29. Stable area to begin welcoming horses on Sept 1, breakfast venue Clockers' Corner, open on Sept 2. Sandy loam main track removed. Bandera Bermuda turf course reinvigorated.
16. Future of Santa Anita Park in question. Owners paint dire picture for operations without significant upgrades, expansions. The Weekly Star, January 14, 2018.
17. At Arcadia City Council meeting, Santa Anita Park Race Track announces racing closure following horse deaths (horses euthanized). By Galen Patterson, Arcadia Weekly, March 7, 2019.
18. Stronach Group announced closure of Santa Anita Park Race Track for live racing and training (horses euthanized). By Terry Miller, Arcadia Weekly, March 7, 2019.
19. Third horse in three days dies (euthanized) at Santa Anita Park, while animal rights activists continue to push for a nationwide ban on racing. These three deaths brought the number of horse deaths at Santa Anita Park to 42 since December 2018. The LA County district attorney's office concluded December 19 that there was no criminal wrongdoing connected to the deaths, but offered a series of recommendations aimed at improving safety at racetracks in California. Pasadena Star News, January 20, 2020.
20. Racing's future is on the line at Santa Anita. Fall meet opens today and pressure is on to prove track can operate without killings its thoroughbreds. Pasadena Star News, September 27, 2019.
21. The truth about horse racing deaths, by Jeff Goertzen. From pasadenastarnews.com, June 28, 2019.
Preservationists are protesting the remodeling at the Santa Anita Park race track. The Los Angeles Conservancy opposes the twin elevator towers and other plans under development.
Horses at Santa Anita Park suffered fatal racing injuries at more than twice the rate of horses competing at California's other 3 major thoroughbred tracks over the last fiscal year, according to statistics. The fatality rate spiked at Santa Anita Park after the switch from a synthetic running surface back to a dirt track in 2010. There were 12 fatalities, or 3.7 per 1,000 starts, at Santa Anita Park in the last fiscal year.
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'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.
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.
Interview on the 20th anniversary of Santa Anita Derby Day 5k, with Santa Anita Park Directory of Special Projects Pete Siberell (photo). See hard copy in VF Santa Anita Park 2011-2020.
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.
John Shear (pictured), a 5-foot, 110-pound, 90-year-old paddock supervisor at Santa Anita Park, nearly lost his life when he threw himself in the path of a runaway horse on March 12 to protect a little girl he didn't know. He has worked seasonally for Santa Anita Park for nearly 50 years. He sustained a fractured pelvis and other injuries but is recuperating at home now. He is a hero.
Santa Anita Park opens its 76th winter/spring 2012-2013 meet with mostly sunny skies and an appearance by KISS (rock group) front man/singer Gene Simmons. On-track attendance was 27,273 this year.
Stronach Group names Joe Morris, Senior VP of West Coast Operations, effective November 9, 2015. He will oversee operations at Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields, and San Luis Rey Training Center and will report to Keith Brackpool.